tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26696662923144699902024-03-14T17:55:51.607+00:00what lauren did todayLaurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.comBlogger346125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-54936334577700015452017-11-22T12:03:00.002+00:002017-11-22T12:18:20.279+00:00Notes from Sunday<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Luke and I spent the weekend just gone at my Dad's flat as 'rest days' because we were both exhausted, and I was mentally a little fragile after a testing few weeks. Our plans didn't expand further than 'go for a walk', 'watch the rugby' and 'go to Aldi' but somehow on Sunday morning we ended up aboard the ss Great Britain. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We were supposed to be walking along the harbour but Luke mentioned he'd never seen it properly and I felt able to manage my anxiety so after a quick browse of the gift shop I sprung the idea onto him and, although surprised, he happily indulged me. Honestly, my motivation came from wanting to feel more in control of my panic and from wanting Luke to experience something. But it also came from wanting the £10 notebook I promised myself I could buy if I made it all the way around the ship. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And so here begins a little photo diary of our time spent in 1867 aboard the incredible ss Great Britain. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Admittedly we didn't linger much in the museum other than to gawk at the sheer amount of information and interactive displays available. It was quite crowded in there and, honestly, looking around the entire exhibit and ship was my main priority so after a quick browse we climbed aboard the ship's deck. As a single ticket grants you a year's access, I'm sure I'll be back soon to take in the details and the history more thoroughly. </span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">The Dry Dock.</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">The first place we explored was the Dry Dock, which is beneath the ship itself and enclosed by rough stone walls. As it's beneath a glass panel covered in water and down several flights of steps (although a lift is available) I was worried I'd feel a little claustrophobic but it was light and fresh and airy. The floor is a little uneven and slippery so keep that in mind if you have a wheelchair/push chair/find it difficult to maintain your balance. There were plenty of informative panels dotted around the place so that you could grasp the history and technical details of the place and the ship without needing a tour guide or booklet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> As you can see, Luke was incredibly happy to be there.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>The Deck.</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was a beautifully clear, cold day which I think added to the enjoyment. It was certainly good weather for photos. The view from the ship was beautiful and we lingered for a few minutes, chatting random nonsense and watching smaller boats drift past. Once I'd re-gathered my courage, we headed down the narrow steps into the belly of the ship. Again, lifts make the ship accessible and smaller wheelchairs are available for use as some of the cabins are too small for regular chairs to squeeze into. For more information on the accessibility of the entire ship and dockyard, check out <a href="http://www.ssgreatbritain.org/your-visit/access-all" target="_blank">the ss Great Britain website</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>Aboard the Ship.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Although I appear quite content to be beside these terrifying wax figures, I had to get Luke to check every single cabin and room for others before I'd step in. They are so lifelike I expect them to move. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The kitchens were my favourite section of the ship. The detail of everything is extraordinary and I happily spent several minutes examining each of the jars and crates and boxes and fruits. The scent of freshly baked bread was blasted into the bakery, rats squeaked in the cupboards of the kitchen and a glorious (fake) coal fire blistered beneath the cooking pots. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The attention to detail and interactive exhibits and noises all around the ship were incredible and really added to the whole experience. I felt quite uneasy in steerage as the sounds of the waves and close walls made me feel quite dizzy and unstable so I didn't spend much time down there but even the holding decks and engine rooms were beautiful. It was quite a surreal and unexpected way to spend a Sunday morning, for sure.</span><br />
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Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-19002199064633978642017-11-06T11:30:00.000+00:002017-11-06T11:30:06.319+00:00Loved Lately: October <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclgCwGi-cYJ0wLyCeSEo7YHqsaJJaisS-sl5upygTw1pZjHSNTog9TFqN2R41OQQfVinlO-0BadYiSn9Mr6YgMiEI4kOnPBrvn-gvE0tLJUTgnUsxSITnXnmXAEfzYzl5oH2ZgfZ70ac/s1600/loved+lately+october+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1215" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclgCwGi-cYJ0wLyCeSEo7YHqsaJJaisS-sl5upygTw1pZjHSNTog9TFqN2R41OQQfVinlO-0BadYiSn9Mr6YgMiEI4kOnPBrvn-gvE0tLJUTgnUsxSITnXnmXAEfzYzl5oH2ZgfZ70ac/s1600/loved+lately+october+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Another bi-monthly favourites post for you today, gang! I'm not sure why I end up writing them every other month - perhaps I'm simply boring half of the year. It is entirely possible. This October I've been focusing on self care, self love and <em>calm</em>. I've been struggling a lot more with my anxiety now that the nights are darker and the days are shorter and the items in this post are now part of my combat kit to conquer my panic. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When I told you about <a href="http://whatlaurendidtoday.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/hello-2017.html" target="_blank">my 2017 goals back in January</a> I mentioned that my ~buzz words~ for the year were going to be healing and calm and I feel that, finally, after months of trying, I've fallen into a pattern of self care that feels natural. I may pen a post about my 'basic' self care sometime soon, if you're interested? But for now, let us talk about the things I've loved, lately. </span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://uk.lush.com/products/sleepy-0" target="_blank">Lush Sleepy body lotion</a>.</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You may notice that the side label has been taken off of the Sleepy pot and that is because it actually belongs to my sister and she cannot resist destroying things. My mum bought it for her a few weeks ago because she's been struggling to sleep and when my night panic returned I felt the need to try it as well. I was incredibly sceptical but, honestly, I adore it. I'm not sure if it's the lotion itself or simply the bedtime routine I've incorporated it into but I truly believe it is easing my anxiety and helping me drift off. The scent is so comforting - a gorgeous, creamy blend of lavender and oats. I massage a little blob of it into both of my arms just before I settle down and I'm asleep within minutes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><a href="https://www.primark.com/en/product/my-little-pony-pj-bottoms,r35397153903018" target="_blank">My Little Pony pyjama leggings</a>.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I don't know how this happened but I'm suddenly obsessed with vintage My Little Pony? These pyjama leggings are from Primark and God are they comfortable. I'm not really a pyjama person but you cannot get me out of these things. I am yet to wear them out of the house but as the weather gets colder I may consider it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Candles.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Again, in my quest to conquer my night panic I have turned to the flickering warmth of candles.</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I don't think I'd ever bought a candle in my life and now I own 12 of them. A couple are from B&M and others, like the one in the photo above, are from Tesco. This blue one smells like lavender and iris and although the scent doesn't throw itself into the room at all, the wax is burning surprisingly evenly, especially when compared to some of the others I have. I light all of my candles at night, turn all the lights off and read in the soft glow and it's wonderful. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Topshop 'L' necklace.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">As soon as I saw these dainty initial necklaces in Topshop I knew I <em>had</em> to have one. As mine, Luke's and Luna's name all begin with an 'L' (as does my sister's), it felt fitting to wear the letter itself around my neck. My love actually bought it for me as a gift and I wear it every day, along with the blue lace agate pendant Dad got me for my birthday last year. I am tempted to get the letter 'T' as my new baby is called Tilly (or Tallulah) and I don't want to leave her out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><a href="https://www.primark.com/en/product/black-star-boots,r35397153574133" target="_blank">Star embroidered boots</a>.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I don't need to explain why I'm featuring these, do I? <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZqxXlQAiZX/?taken-by=whatlaurendidtoday" target="_blank">Just look at them</a>. They're glorious. Slightly uncomfortable, but glorious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Polaroid photos.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My Instax Mini has been severely underused this year. When I received it for Christmas last year I decided I was going to save it for 'special occasions' but the days and nights never seemed significant enough, so I had four boxes of film waiting to be used. This month I decided that my mundane was special enough and I've been pulling it out at random to snap things like my babies sleeping on the bed together, Luke lookin' fine and Sunday baking with my sister. The photos are a little small, but I adore their nostalgic, imperfect charm. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Essential oils.</strong> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">As intended, this month I've been experimenting with essential oil blends in my oil burner. My favourites to use are lavender, bergamot and sweet orange - although not at the same time. I burn lavender and bergamot when I'm feeling anxious, and sweet orange and grapefruit during the day if I'm feeling a little lacklustre. I also sprinkle a few drops of lavender on my pillow before bedtime and, paired with Sleepy, I think it's been helping me calm down. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><a href="http://www.calmmoment.com/magazines/in-the-moment/" target="_blank">In The Moment magazine</a>.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">The moment I spotted this magazine on the rack at Sainsbury's I knew it was destined for me. I have honestly never adored a magazine so much. It focuses on self care, wellbeing and creativity which is <em>exactly</em> what I need right now and it's such a joy just to look at. It's packed with recipes, articles, happy news and self care inspiration. I really, truly <em>adore</em> it and am half-tempted to order myself the four other editions released before it. (Or perhaps ask for them for Christmas.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Happy journal.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I picked up this mini pink notebook on a whim as it was 60p in the sale at Sainsbury's but it turned out to be the perfect size to act as my happy journal. Every night I challenge myself to think back through my day and note down the things I'm grateful for or that made me particularly happy. Quorn 'chicken', jumpers, Tilly and Luna are regular entries. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Instagram.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Now that I've removed myself almost entirely from social media and have taken a more laid-back approach to my blog, I've been really enjoying my Instagram. I'm thinking less of myself as a 'brand' and more of a person, which is a refreshing change, and it means I'm giving less of a fuck about what I post. I mean, it's mainly been selfies with my family and photos of Tilly but they make me incredibly happy and who doesn't love pictures of cats? You can follow me <a href="https://www.instagram.com/whatlaurendidtoday/" target="_blank">here</a> if you fancy it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Other Instagram accounts I've been loving lately: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fiorere/" target="_blank">fiorere</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/megzmoz/" target="_blank">megzmoz</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sartorialscot/" target="_blank">sartorialscot</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/_iamjayde/" target="_blank">_iamjayde</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bkyrouncefield/" target="_blank">bkyrouncefield</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/houseofintuition/" target="_blank">houseofintuition</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">And finally, some other favourites of note: my skincare routine, Strictly Come Dancing and the two jumpers I bought from charity shops last week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Oh! and here's a bonus photo of Tilly who decided she wanted to be in my favourites post, too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span><br />Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-7441043363767371722017-10-10T10:06:00.000+01:002017-10-10T10:22:21.950+01:00Life Lately<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em>Life lately has been...</em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">The inky silkiness of Luna's fur beneath my fingertips and the black-in-some-lights-brown-in-others cloud of Tilly's. | <strong>Luna's quiet, rhythmic, reassuring purr and Tilly's loud, erratic, warm rattle.</strong> | <span style="font-family: "georgia";">All of the beige, bland food. Side effects suck. | <span style="font-family: "georgia";">Slices of light slipping through my new blinds. | <span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em>Reading The Goblet of Fire aloud to anyone that will listen. (It helps with my concentration which has been iffy for the past... six months.)</em> | <span style="font-family: "georgia";">Taking polaroids of my babies, sleeping on the bed together for the first time, and popping the discoloured shots into a photo frame. | New glasses <em>and</em> a new haircut.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Lorde's Melodrama on repeat.</strong> | <span style="font-family: "georgia";">Nails painted with Barry M's Mustard nail varnish. | <span style="font-family: "georgia";">The sharp, irritating pain of a kitten climbing your leg, seeking attention, whilst you're trying to make a birthday cake. | <span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em>P</em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em>ink roses and fressias in the living room because Mum and I know how to treat ourselves.</em> | <span style="font-family: "georgia";">New names and nicknames for Tilly every day. So far we have Tiny Baby, Tallulah, Tilly Rowena and the ever-endearing 'silly cow' when she falls off of another piece of furniture. (She's completely safe, just clumsy AF.) </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em>Feeling the sun's rays on my face for the first time in a week whilst sat on a park bench with my love.</em> | <span style="font-family: "georgia";">Crystals cleansed in tiny waterfalls and charged under the full moon. | <span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Giving less of a fuck about making my Instagram look perfect.</strong> | <span style="font-family: "georgia";">Attempting to brush up on my aromatherapy knowledge and diffusing oils with water in an oil burner. | <span style="font-family: "georgia";">Early morning cuddles in bed with a purring baby whilst reading my Mystic Mondays tarot card of the day. | <em>2 for 99p book deals.</em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-47159769907333962222017-10-04T15:11:00.000+01:002017-10-04T15:11:35.974+01:00My Lush Halloween Picks <span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I've been doing Lush reviews since What Lauren Did Today began and, actually, several years before that. My first ever blog post (on a blog I shudder to look at now) was a review of my long-term favourite: the Seanik shampoo bar. Recently, when I was considering what I wanted my blog to be now, I considering ditching the Lush posts - they felt a little <em>done</em>. My old-fashioned blogging style. Like I was stuck in 2014. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">But I still adore Lush. I love their ethics and their pioneering methods for packaging-free products. I love how a simple bath bomb can really, truly, comfort me. So I thought, fuck it. I'm not dropping Lush from my blogging repertoire. But I do want to breathe a little life back into the way I talk about the newest collections and products. I want to make them more current-me-friendly. So welcome to one hell of a walk-through of my picks from the Lush Halloween collection for 2017. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"><strong><a href="https://uk.lush.com/products/bubble-bars/bewitched" target="_blank">Bewitched bubble bar</a> | £4.25</strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Notes of:</strong> <em>bergamot and olibanum.</em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Suitable for vegans</span>.</strong></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Have you ever seen a Lush product more perfectly suited to me as a mother of two black cats and fully fledged member of The Black Cat Club? But alas: I expected to be, well, <em>bewitched</em> by this bubble bar and I simply wasn't. The scent pays homage to the beloved and now discontinued Blackberry bath bomb, which was a favourite of mine when I was in college, a subdued fruity and sultry mix of bergamot and olibanum. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">To be honest, I don't think I used enough of it - I usually quarter bubble bars because I don't like a <em>ton</em> of bubbles and it works out cheaper that way. My bath water turned a dis-satisfying grey and ripples of lustre <em>tried</em> to make themselves present in the sunlight. Although it bubbled wonderfully (I used the shower head technique) I didn't find that it softened my skin any. Perhaps if you used the entire bar your experience would be a lot better than mine. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpJAfT0JqqCXRulC9PwNEoF9Fgjd2ExL07GnmsE6lRW3z3H7oX7ot5HNBgLQq-LEizO5g3TpKI5yBWPzhvrUm0MN9BvfyzSheHR9r50lvg-RRd_ijtGRRk3fY9wiw1Uz-afWyAT5o-k8/s1600/lush+halloween+pumpkin+bath+bomb+2017+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpJAfT0JqqCXRulC9PwNEoF9Fgjd2ExL07GnmsE6lRW3z3H7oX7ot5HNBgLQq-LEizO5g3TpKI5yBWPzhvrUm0MN9BvfyzSheHR9r50lvg-RRd_ijtGRRk3fY9wiw1Uz-afWyAT5o-k8/s1600/lush+halloween+pumpkin+bath+bomb+2017+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong><a href="https://uk.lush.com/products/halloween/pumpkin" target="_blank">Pumpkin bath bomb</a> | £4.25</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Notes of: </strong><em>cinnamon, vanilla and pimento berry.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Suitable for vegans</span>.</strong></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I didn't write a review of Pumpkin last year because the one I purchased was a dud - it sank straight to the bottom of the water and essentially fell apart - so I bought it again this year so that I could experience it properly. This time, the delicious, crisp scent was a lot more intense. It's a little on the sweet side, although the subtle cinnamon spiciness and citrusy pimento berry balances it out. It smells like some kind of spiced-orange-and-vanilla baked good which makes it very ~seasonally appropriate~. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">The bomb itself dissolved very quickly and didn't release much into the water besides a vibrant orange colouring, a lovely silky softness and a small amount of glitter. It was pretty and sparkly but the water wasn't full of it, especially when compared to a bomb like Intergalactic which is packed with lustre, so it might be a little kinder to you sensitive-skinned ladies. Tiny ribbons of yellow leaked out but vanished within seconds, and that was about it, really. For the price, I wouldn't recommend this bath bomb unless you preferred the plain ones. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong><a href="https://uk.lush.com/products/halloween/lord-misrule" target="_blank">Lord of Misrule bath bomb</a> | £3.95</strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Notes of: </strong><em>patchouli, vanilla and black pepper.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Suitable for vegans</span>.</strong></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Lord of Misrule is something of a cult classic in the Lush world, and it's a bath bomb that I buy every single Autumn despite the fact that I detest the scent of it. It's a very woody, almost spicy scent that it balanced out slightly with the addition of vanilla, but it's still too much for my nose, which favours more mature scents such as bubble gum and pineapple. <em>Ahem</em>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Aside from the hate-it-or-love-it scent, Lord of Misrule is a wonderful bomb to enjoy on those spooky, stormy evenings we've come to expect from October. Once dropped (or lightly placed, as I do) into the water it begins to slowly, slowly froth, releasing patches of green foam that skims across the water's surface. Of course, the core of this bath bomb is the most exciting thing about it - after a few minutes, deep, lovely pink colouring pushes the bomb around the bath, creating a swirling, winding pattern that looks great on an Autumnal Instagram theme ;). The end result is a feeling like you're bathing in mulled wine and beautifully soft skin. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong><a href="https://uk.lush.com/products/bath-bombs/monsters-ball-0" target="_blank">Monster's Ball bath bomb</a> | £4.50</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Notes of:</strong> <em>lime, neroli and olibanum.</em></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Suitable for vegans</span>.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Monster's Ball was my favourite item from the Halloween collection last year, so I knew that if it returned this year I'd snap one up real quick. The uplifting citrus scent was the perfect pick-me-up on a dreary Sunday afternoon. Monster's Ball is one of the those Lush products that you feel safe buying because know you're going to get your money's worth... especially considering the pricing this year. Eek! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Within seconds of dropping it into the water a gorgeous display of pink and blue spreads across the surface whilst a deep, luxurious purple shade develops below, colouring the entire tub of water. The colours are so vibrant this year! Much improved from <a href="http://whatlaurendidtoday.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/lush-monsters-ball-bath-bomb.html" target="_blank">last year</a>. The water itself turns silky and soft and laced with shimmering lustre; not enough that you come out of the bath sparkling like a <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=edward+cullen&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjo4672mdLWAhXHrxoKHYW_CxoQ_AUICigB&biw=1518&bih=714" target="_blank">creepy stalker vampire</a> but enough that you'll need to rinse the tub afterwards!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong><a href="https://uk.lush.com/products/halloween/ectoplasm" target="_blank">Ectoplasm jelly bomb</a> | £4.95</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Notes of:</strong> <em>grapefruit, tangerine and litsea cubeba.</em> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Suitable for vegans</span>.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I'm just going to come out with it: the idea of these jelly bombs f r e a k s me out. I think it ties in with my random and irrational discomfort around jelly itself but the thought of sinking into a gloriously hot bath filled with <em>slime</em> doesn't appeal to me. It does, however, appeal to Luke, my boyfriend and Lush guinea pig. He valiantly volunteered to trial a jelly bomb so that we could see what they were like. And so, this review comes mainly from him, translated by me ;).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Unlike a regular fizzing or frothing Lush bomb, Ectoplasm rather... dissolves. Once the adorable ghosty outer layer disappeared a heart of thick, slimy jelly begins to emerge and settle itself across the surface of the water. The scent it releases is gorgeous, a bright, vibrant mix of tangerine and grapefruit and Luke said the scent lasts the entire bath, which is always nice. A meek lime also colours the bath water, although it isn't as vibrant as the other bombs in this post. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">The jelly itself feels a lot like Jelly Baff (remember that, fellow 90's kids?) if you dip your hand right into it like I did. I found it utterly repulsive and was desperate to get it off of my skin before it mutated and tried to eat my face or something. If you give the water a good slosh around, though, it blends with it and makes the water a little thicker but soft and silky. But <strong>P L E A S E</strong> be careful when you step into the bath - it's incredibly slippery! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Overall... I still find the whole jelly thing quite unsettling. However, Luke rather enjoyed it and we both decided it was appropriate for Halloween. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Aaaand that's a wrap on Lush Halloween 2017! If I didn't already have a backlog of bombs and bubble bars to use, I'd probably pick up another Monster's Ball to use on All Hallow's Eve. Instead, I'll resign myself to watching The Addam's Family and dressing up with my little sister.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em>Kisses</em>. xo</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://instagram.com/whatlaurendidtoday" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Instagram</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/whatlaaurendid" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Twitter</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12340871" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Bloglovin</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/whatlaurendid/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Pinterest</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">| </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31020554-lauren" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Goodreads</span></a></span></span></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-486649328602873852017-10-01T15:00:00.000+01:002017-10-01T15:00:07.119+01:00Hello October<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUNgmubRim4vbD2WLp7_Y-Xpjx2ktFKMxpWzaW8KzxBySHU49mZKDfosbYYj-EeR5OPEgpF6-014v4LJ4yAa8XIO80B1szawKxWwqTeDw_I0VnrtE9en67q01YsNRl2Ahs73gWuYkuD8/s1600/hello+october+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUNgmubRim4vbD2WLp7_Y-Xpjx2ktFKMxpWzaW8KzxBySHU49mZKDfosbYYj-EeR5OPEgpF6-014v4LJ4yAa8XIO80B1szawKxWwqTeDw_I0VnrtE9en67q01YsNRl2Ahs73gWuYkuD8/s1600/hello+october+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em>Intentions, wishes and daydreams for the tenth month of the year.</em></span><a name='more'></a><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>My October To Do List</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>1.</strong> Make low-fodmap gravy granules, just in time for roast vegetable season.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>2.</strong> Embrace the guidance offered to me but stand firmly on my own two feet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>3.</strong> Wear orange, red or black nail varnish permanently.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>4.</strong> Finalise my Christmas gift idea list.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>5.</strong> Reel back on the spending - save that £ for gifting!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>6.</strong> Get outside and experience the changing colours.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>7.</strong> Yoga, dammit!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>8.</strong> Book my tiny baby her first appointment with the vet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>9.</strong> Work on my vegan cookie recipe.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>10.</strong> Dance along with Strictly in the living room with my sister.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I'm hopefully spending some time at my Dad's flat this month, which means I can cycle around the park and along the harbour-side with my love, weather providing. Luke will also be working on a few of the days we're staying, so I can spend those hours with my Dad who is staying at his sister's. It's only a short bus ride away, so he can get to me easily, and who knows - maybe I'll attempt to conquer my fear of public transport. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I also want to up my cooking game this month. My energy and motivation tends to spike in the morning (after my breakfast, medication and a few YouTube videos) and crashes at around 4-5pm, meaning I more often than not reach for a quick, convenient, less-tasty dinner instead of something I've put effort into. I've decided to appoint Sunday as my food-prep day for the week and I'll part-boil, roast and freeze or refrigerate a handful of root veggies, white potato and sweet potato. I've rediscovered my intense love of swede, which is something I ate so often as a child. I usually boil squares of it and sometimes roast them after, but can't cook it as well as my Nan does!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong> </strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">☾</span><strong> October Mood Board</strong></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXonWlhHBjyh21mVvEe1egaWi5SxdqAxxbCgBPqPUbz4Ju8nWHAco27J4urH7z51tyIda2Qm4zKwJYoZgdbofwn7xWXgRYuhJBwsku9Zr7YFrG6uQ1s4xFtpV9_s5sHzoYYuNLY181SE/s1600/autumn+collage+mood+board+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXonWlhHBjyh21mVvEe1egaWi5SxdqAxxbCgBPqPUbz4Ju8nWHAco27J4urH7z51tyIda2Qm4zKwJYoZgdbofwn7xWXgRYuhJBwsku9Zr7YFrG6uQ1s4xFtpV9_s5sHzoYYuNLY181SE/s1600/autumn+collage+mood+board+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>A little visual inspiration for October ~</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Following <a href="http://www.witchcake.co.uk/2017/08/unblocking-my-creativity.html#.Wc_TjHle74g" target="_blank">Holly's advice</a>, to help unblock my creativity I've been spending time working on collages, in lots of different forms. I've always enjoyed creating 'aesthetic' Pinterest boards for my own fictional characters and other fictional humans (they're on my secret Pinterest account) and I thought I'd try my hand at creating a mood board for the month ahead. I'm a very visual person so seeing a collage of what I'm aiming for helps me reign myself in and focus. What do you think?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">See you sometime next week, when I post my Lush Halloween picks and reviews! xx</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://instagram.com/whatlaurendidtoday" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Instagram</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/whatlaaurendid" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Twitter</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12340871" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Bloglovin</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/whatlaurendid/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Pinterest</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">| </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31020554-lauren" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Goodreads</span></a></span></span></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-26213193883468672152017-09-30T15:31:00.001+01:002017-09-30T15:42:25.853+01:00Goodbye September <br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Well. September was a bit of a whirlwind, wasn't it? I've been so incredibly busy (and exhausted) that, despite my best intentions, I only managed four blog posts this month, including this one. Ah well. There's always next month. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">The main reason my creativity was put on hold is because I've been working with a new mental health team and I'm currently trialling two new medications, which has knocked me o u t in terms of energy and motivation levels. So, so tired. Lord help me. I have managed to do a few things, though, so let's check back with my to do list...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"><strong>My September To Do List</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>1.</strong> <strike>Experiment with baking</strike> and share a few recipes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>2.</strong> <strike>Spend time with the kittens before they go to their forever-homes.</strike></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>3.</strong> <strike>Refresh my Lush stash with bath bombs galore (bath season is coming!)</strike></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>4.</strong> <strike>Give the Great British Bake Off a chance, even though I dislike the new presenters</strike>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>5.</strong> <strike>Introduce a new fruit or vegetable into my weekly shop</strike>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>6.</strong> Get outside more, even if it's only the back garden.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>7. </strong>Establish a new routine of productivity with lots of rest added appropriately. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>8.</strong> <strike>Stand up for myself and my health - I want to be a better personal ally</strike>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>9.</strong> Try yoga. For real this time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>10.</strong> Refer to my planner every morning before I touch social media. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kE-Lm-vo63CAcXiG1HdNFnSudqxvb0ClNjGxi1gqdGmiP8cdADnUKalcz0c8ro1IcBvNXVLY15XphrnVtzzi0a1eiuytHTGA6gRo85Kwrra1Zxwz47rSNANFKhto52ZcYVEP7SxKvY0/s1600/goodbye+september+cookies+baking+fail+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kE-Lm-vo63CAcXiG1HdNFnSudqxvb0ClNjGxi1gqdGmiP8cdADnUKalcz0c8ro1IcBvNXVLY15XphrnVtzzi0a1eiuytHTGA6gRo85Kwrra1Zxwz47rSNANFKhto52ZcYVEP7SxKvY0/s1600/goodbye+september+cookies+baking+fail+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I did experiment with some vegan baking, although it turned out rather disastrously which meant I didn't get to share the recipe. These cookies looked (and tasted) pretty nice, but the fact they weren't supposed to be cookies in the first place should indicate how badly it went...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Spending time with the kittens went especially well, considering one of them now lives with me ;). I'll introduce her properly another time, perhaps, but Luke and I are absolutely smitten with our new bebe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">It's been quite soul-healing to have this tiny baby in my life, actually. I've been a little all over the place, to be honest, what with two new medications and twice-weekly meetings with the team who have prescribed them to me, via a psychiatrist. Her little personality is blossoming as each day goes by and she absolutely <em>adores</em> attention and cuddles. Cradling a tiny, purring kitten and holding her tight to my chest makes my soul so incredibly happy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Refreshing my Lush stash was another thing I completed pretty early on in the month: as a reward/bribe for taking my new medication I placed one hell of a Lush order. Most of the items have been saved for a giant Lush Halloween post, which is coming sometime next week, but they've all provided a lot of comfort and sparkle to otherwise difficult days. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I also picked up a couple of books this month.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> I've always tried to manage my mental health with a mix of traditional medicine and ~holistic~ techniques and now that I'm working with a more intensive mental health team I figured it was time to bring some more in-depth soul-healing reads to my bookcase. I spied these three on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/brianneetc/" target="_blank">Brianne's Instagram</a> (which is fab btw) and, after reading about them online, added them straight to my Amazon basket. I've yet to read them because my concentration levels are still a little iffy but soon, soon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">As for my planner... I completely forgot about it, to be honest. I did buy a 'weekly plan' desk pad at Sainsburys for £1 the other day, so maybe I'll get more use out of that, paired with a wall calendar that I also forgot I had. I think I'm over the whole bullet journal thing - I much prefer all of my subjects and lists and plans separate, as I kept getting everything jumbled and I didn't like it. I think a wall calendar and several subject-based notebooks are going to be the way forward for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">What else happened this month? Oh! I got my new glasses. They're men's frames and I'm obsessed with them. I also had my hair cut a few days ago so I'm rocking another full fringe. I like it much better this time, and I can't help smiling every time I catch my reflection in a mirror/window. I <em>did</em> try yoga... once. I really enjoyed it though, so I'm going to get back to it asap. </span></div>
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A post shared by Lauren (@whatlaurendidtoday) on <time datetime="2017-09-30T14:20:35+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Sep 30, 2017 at 7:20am PDT</time></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">And finally: I bought these incredible boots from Primark yesterday. I am utterly besotted with them. That is all. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"><strong>Things you should read and/or watch:</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">☾</span><a href="http://www.witchcake.co.uk/2017/09/witchcraft-for-self-care.html#.WcqzInle74g" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Witchcraft for Self-Care </span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">by Holly at </span><a href="http://www.witchcake.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Witch Cake</span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">☾ <a href="http://www.bkyrouncefield.co.uk/the-3-blogging-rules-i-learned-to-break/" target="_blank">The 3 Blogging Rules I Learned To Break</a> by Becky at <a href="http://www.bkyrouncefield.co.uk/" target="_blank">BKYROUNCEFIELD</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">☾ </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYa6VUK2dM0" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Creating An Autumn Capsule Wardrobe</span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> | </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEJjmNf24-N1U9HXmr-2nYw" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lucy Moon</span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">☾ </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSdU2b_EnbkXBKzs4tyA2pb1_fpdbpM9E" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Weekly Vlogs</span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> | </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIM7wBuqY07tfPo0UsXpFIQ/featured" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hannah Gale</span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">☾ <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MA8LIQ5Tec" target="_blank">Everything I Ate In Paris | Food Diary Friday</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDwHFuZJV_2qukjmkJGWIfw" target="_blank">Melanie Murphy</a> (obsessed with her again atm.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">☾<a href="http://brianneetc.co.uk/my-essential-oil-collection/" target="_blank">14 Essential Oils You Should Have At Home</a> by Bre at <a href="http://brianneetc.co.uk/" target="_blank">Brianne Etc</a>. An old post but one I've been referring to lately! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em>xoxo</em>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://instagram.com/whatlaurendidtoday" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Instagram</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/whatlaaurendid" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Twitter</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12340871" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Bloglovin</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/whatlaurendid/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Pinterest</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">| </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31020554-lauren" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Goodreads</span></a></span></span></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-50393309759168013932017-09-19T11:30:00.000+01:002017-09-19T11:30:04.678+01:00Movies I've Watched This Year (So Far)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwuUzzkgrDvNVNYFCYzFxlRD8rAfEcvINRrwxGURbLc8gPAr2OZXMhuRpk6PPDKJcYERTxs4hLL7QiHcvHNUrjBx0NihvKo6zgFaRV-eIPcyxhBkmGOgKWN8jxmYpAIdqGfpA5KjH-gH8/s1600/movies+I%2527ve+watched+so+far+this+year+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwuUzzkgrDvNVNYFCYzFxlRD8rAfEcvINRrwxGURbLc8gPAr2OZXMhuRpk6PPDKJcYERTxs4hLL7QiHcvHNUrjBx0NihvKo6zgFaRV-eIPcyxhBkmGOgKWN8jxmYpAIdqGfpA5KjH-gH8/s1600/movies+I%2527ve+watched+so+far+this+year+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm a TV show kinda gal. When it comes to stories I'm in it for the long haul - I want all of the character development and storyline crossovers, carefully crafted and woven together across multiple hours of viewing. I want insignificant conversations and back story and all of the wonderful things found folded between book pages and 22 episode box-sets. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Luke, on the other hand, is movie kinda guy. His collection of DVDs could rival mine of books. When we first got together, we would spend countless hours watching movies at home and a handful of pennies going to the cinema once or twice a week, back when it was £4.50 a ticket. <em>Showcase Insider card holders, ya feel meeee.</em> Over the past few years I've watched films less and less, partially due to my (soon-to-be conquered) fear of the cinema, mainly due to our Netflix subscription. This year I decided to make a little more effort and I'm pleased to report I've watched 10 new-to-me movies so far this year! Today I thought I'd share my thoughts on them, because isn't that what we bloggers do?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2HtWdrRQcOakQXtIR84vkOlIlbinfMVPj6Dlepy_BejYtDmZfsQx15x7WlaeJ_GTSoC2fOjB321WVXiaKr2GldYORw8zsdjEfiY4hu026qKJdL4LRm9Bnaa-k0H_ryw_24XOHuLC-NU/s1600/Guardians-of-the-Galaxy-full-team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2HtWdrRQcOakQXtIR84vkOlIlbinfMVPj6Dlepy_BejYtDmZfsQx15x7WlaeJ_GTSoC2fOjB321WVXiaKr2GldYORw8zsdjEfiY4hu026qKJdL4LRm9Bnaa-k0H_ryw_24XOHuLC-NU/s1600/Guardians-of-the-Galaxy-full-team.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.cbr.com/quiz/name-the-guardians-of-the-galaxy/" target="_blank"><em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">source</span></em></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBhyphenhyphen_NRL2RPLDJGC_QVTWGw-OV9fHKkaFfcJSxxYc8W73UZ1TEnkylf0ra_tuKQWWo2Qz9_s1hPkSuHp8IiYGRjHb8lIQk7ZQUJrqgmPJWXhNqOWqhv1w9sFB49WJHyW-tpDEzJDLc50/s1600/Guardians-of-the-Galaxy-full-team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Guardians of the Galaxy.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Genre: </strong><em>Superhero action.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Released: </strong><em>2015.</em></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: #a64d79;">★★★☆☆</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I put off watching Guardians for a long time, mainly because I wasn't sure how I felt about a comical superhero movie. I prefer them to be a little grittier than something like Suicide Squad (which I loved but only 'cause of Harley Quinn) but I was pleasantly surprised. It's not my favourite Marvel movie by a long shot but it was entertaining enough. Plus Baby Groot. <em>Watch the trailer </em><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20width=%22560%22%20height=%22315%22%20src=%22https://www.youtube.com/embed/d96cjJhvlMA%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20allowfullscreen%3E%3C/iframe%3E" target="_blank"><em>here.</em></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Cinderella.</strong> <span style="font-size: small;"><em>"</em></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em>Have courage and be kind."</em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Genre: </strong><em>Disney live-action remake.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Released:</strong><em> 2015.</em></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "times new roman";"><strong>★★★★</strong><strong>☆</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My first live-action Disney princess film! Honestly, I adored Cinderella - so much so that she's now one of my favourite Disney princesses. Lily James is an absolute dream and Robb Stark as Prince Charming? <em>Hello</em>. It was fantastical and whimsical and exactly what I needed. There's something about Disney Princess movies that just lift my spirits and this was no exception. I also take a small amount of pleasure in the fact that it was directed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Branagh" target="_blank">Gilderoy Lockhart</a>. <em>Watch the trailer </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McQ_cCBaiac" target="_blank"><em>here</em></a><em>.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>The Danish Girl.</strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Genre:</strong> <em>Romantic drama.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Released:</strong> <em>2016 (UK).</em></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><strong>★★★★</strong><strong>☆</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oh, this film. I adored it.</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Aesthetically it was so stunning - the setting, the outfits, the tonal mood of each shot - but it's also charged with emotion so intense it's almost tangible. Alicia Vikander was sensational and <em>so</em> deserving of the many awards she won for her role as Gerda. There are few films I watch that I think Luke will enjoy as much as me but he watched The Danish Girl a few weeks ago and agreed it was amazing. <em>Watch the trailer </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d88APYIGkjk" target="_blank"><em>here</em></a><em>.</em></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxwFWSzvmZWipuFdK1Xwn7Stmala-QSNTDfcXQXlo4uouer7OjMypPRyAG9sfJ_1L3CgJqCa0fozkLly1ZrhFs-B559OPoAVEWIYzyTLKVbVbx-LNY3NhGXiEbKGxIz3z2RN1sU-eUkk/s1600/115859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxwFWSzvmZWipuFdK1Xwn7Stmala-QSNTDfcXQXlo4uouer7OjMypPRyAG9sfJ_1L3CgJqCa0fozkLly1ZrhFs-B559OPoAVEWIYzyTLKVbVbx-LNY3NhGXiEbKGxIz3z2RN1sU-eUkk/s1600/115859.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.eventernote.com/events/115859" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">source</span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Blame!</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Genre:</strong> S<em>ci-fi action.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Released:</strong> <em>2017.</em></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><strong>★★☆☆</strong><strong>☆</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Blame! was my first foray into anime film and it was... a bizarre one. I'm into dystopian post-apocalyptic fiction and I'm also into anime so I figured this short film would be an easy watch but it really wasn't. I thought the animation style was laggy, clunky and out of sync and the plot was strange. I watched the first hour twice and failed both times to really get a hold on what was happening. It also distracted me that the voice actors of Kirito and Asuna had main roles and I failed to separate their voices from their new characters as I didn't find any of the characters in Blame! particularly compelling. <em>Watch the trailer </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO0JsSYTFzQ" target="_blank"><em>here</em></a><em>.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Remember Me.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Genre:</strong> <em>Coming-of-age romantic drama.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Released:</strong> <em>2010.</em></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><strong>★★★★</strong><strong>☆</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">God, this film fxcked me up. You know when you're watching something and there's a single defining moment when it changes from an okay film to an incredible one? The plot twist in this film honestly, truly blew my mind. I didn't stop raving/ranting/screaming about it for days afterwards and it didn't stray far from my thoughts for even longer. <em>Watch the trailer </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oEp75fxTm0" target="_blank"><em>here</em></a><em>.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Moana" target="_blank"><em>source</em></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Moana.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Genre:</strong> <em>Disney fantasy adventure.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Released:</strong> <em>2016.</em></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><strong>★★★★</strong><strong>☆</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I didn't get to see Moana at the cinema (despite counting down the days until it was released from when they announced it) so my Mum bought me the DVD and we settled down that evening to watch it together. I loved it! Moana as a character reminded me a little of Rapunzel, who is my absolute fave, and I loved all of the cultural elements. And the music! Oh, the music. Who knew The Rock could sing? It isn't the best Disney soundtrack in my opinion (Hercules, Tarzan and Tangled are my faves) but the only song I didn't like was the one with that weird crab. Oh and the little chicken was hilarious. <em>Watch the trailer </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKFuXETZUsI" target="_blank"><em>here</em></a><em>.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Gone Girl.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Genre:</strong> <em>Psychological thriller.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Released:</strong> <em>2014.</em></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><strong>★★★★</strong><strong>☆</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Another film that unexpectedly blew my mind.</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Like Remember Me, there was a defining moment that left both myself and Mum absolutely reeling.</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lots of eye-popping, squealing and wide-with-shock mouth movements happened. If you've seen it, I'm sure you know which scene I'm talking about.</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've yet to stray into the world of crime thrillers so this film was a bit of a slow burner for me, especially at the beginning, but it really does consume you! Watch the trailer <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esGn-xKFZdU" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.thedigitalhash.com/categories/reviews/web-feature-films/" target="_blank"><em>source</em></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>You Get Me.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Genre:</strong> <em>Thriller.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Released:</strong> <em>2017.</em></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><strong>★☆☆☆</strong><strong>☆</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm not sure why I decided to watch this because it's not my genre at all, but I was curious to see Bella Thorne act in something I hadn't seen on the Disney Channel. Unfortunately, she was the one thing I really didn't like about this film. I don't think her face shows much expression, or at least I didn't feel it from her, which in a film this intense is kind of necessary. Overall it was okay. I wouldn't watch it again. <em>Watch the trailer </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeznNU_-gSM" target="_blank"><em>here</em></a><em>.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>The Circle.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Genre:</strong> <em>Techno-thriller.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>Released:</strong> <em>2017.</em></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><strong>★★☆☆</strong><strong>☆</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I watched The Circle directly after finishing You Get Me, when Dad was in hospital and I was at his flat and I wanted a distraction. Again, the main actress in this short film drew me in and once I got over her American accent, I did enjoy Emma Watson's performance. It made me think about a lot of things, especially regarding social media and the urge to share things that probably aren't suited for Instagram or Twitter, and it made me uncomfortable on several occasions, in the best way. It wasn't a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat type thriller, it was more subdued with undertones of discomfort. <em>Watch the trailer </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCOXARv6J9k" target="_blank"><em>here</em></a><em>.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://disney.co.uk/" target="_blank"><em>source</em></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Beauty & The Beast.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Genre:</strong> <em>Disney live-action remake.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Released:</strong> <em>2017.</em></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><strong>★</strong><strong>★</strong><strong>★☆☆</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Another Emma Watson film, and another live action Disney movie. I've seen three now, having seen and disliked The Jungle Book last year, and in all honestly Beauty and the Beast didn't do much for me. I actually really like Emma Watson as Belle and Luke Evans as Gaston and yes it was visually so beautiful, but it was so similar to the animation that it seemed like a waste of time? Like, if I wanted to watch the animation I would have. You know? I know, people complain when it's too similar and people complain when it's too different but I'd have liked more of a spin on it. <em>Watch the trailer </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqQvZ_VUtg8" target="_blank"><em>here</em></a><em>.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">There's been a real mix of amazing and awful films this year! I think awful films are the reason I don't watch many others, because I'm so afraid of wasting my time, but I really think there's always at least <em>one</em> thing worth noting in a film, even if the rest of it was shit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Have you watched anything good this year? Baby Driver is on my list!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"> <span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://instagram.com/whatlaurendidtoday" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Instagram</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/whatlaaurendid" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Twitter</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12340871" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Bloglovin</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/whatlaurendid/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Pinterest</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">| </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31020554-lauren" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Goodreads</span></a></span></span></span></div>
<br />Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-27651358888155464622017-09-04T11:30:00.000+01:002017-09-04T11:30:13.656+01:00Loved Lately: August<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38t5Twa2ywcS8eK6asR7lYtLtWCbEouxUUXMDm_Cb3O2nm4AknIPmWtFkaNYuVDKtERlmEGCveUJaQcBbBXTYt6rG9X4YIQM-bLdl1NUihIPPmel3mzUpopqkkyR2te9hrow15lnWJWw/s1600/august+favourites+2017+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38t5Twa2ywcS8eK6asR7lYtLtWCbEouxUUXMDm_Cb3O2nm4AknIPmWtFkaNYuVDKtERlmEGCveUJaQcBbBXTYt6rG9X4YIQM-bLdl1NUihIPPmel3mzUpopqkkyR2te9hrow15lnWJWw/s1600/august+favourites+2017+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>{ This post contains spoilers for Game of Thrones season 7, episode 7. }</em></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></em> </div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Despite being a Summer month, August always holds a little bit of excitement for me. It's my little sister's birthday month and out of the three of us - being Leigh, Matt and I - Leigh's birthday is always the one we celebrate the most. Perks of being the youngest, eh?! August is also the only entire month of the year that my family are all home, all at once, and it holds the last few weeks of heat before my favourite season blows the last of it away with the promise of cosy jumpers and dog walks that won't kill me off. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Anyway! I'm sure you're sick to frickin' death about hearing about Autumn. <em>Although I am firmly in the 'Autumn begins September 1st' camp. </em>Here are my August and end-of-Summer favourites!</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=943593984" target="_blank"><em>source</em></a></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Slime <strike>Ranger</strike> Rancher for XBOX One.</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I keep calling this game 'Slime Ranger' instead of it's official title so excuseme if I refer to it on Twitter or on my blog and you don't know what I'm talking about. It's this. A game about slime farming, essentially. I fell hard and fast for Slime Ranger on an evening at the beginning of August and stayed up until 1am playing before Luke prised the controller from my hands and reminded me I was meant to take my medication at 10.30pm. Oooops. It's so sweet, though, and all of the slimes are so adorable. Tabby slime, anyone? It's a really chill game and I'm all about that RPG life, so it's nice to lose an hour or so to my virtual slime farm every now and then.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Lorde's Melodrama.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Lorde's lyrical mastery became the soundtrack to my life back in 2013 when she released Pure Heroine and she's finallyyyyy released a new album! Melodrama wasn't an instant love for me, but the more I've listened to it the more I adore it. I still don't like Green Light but her way with words and imagery calls to my lil Ravenclaw heart and I can't help but love her. My favourite songs are Homemade Dynamite, Perfect Places, Hard Feelings/Loveless and Sober. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLBuPjzQALvzkNdMljW9Xj6pzhPyyUEj34VAa1S493xqgnmei-cx0Q59r7PAl0gAhMAHXJDV7HhF337QMkRF5gCpkXZaEkifBmKAYUhPaLS3V9DpHduCrKlKVIP8PdjXsP9m9yJnJbuU/s1600/loved+lately+august+2017+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1266" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLBuPjzQALvzkNdMljW9Xj6pzhPyyUEj34VAa1S493xqgnmei-cx0Q59r7PAl0gAhMAHXJDV7HhF337QMkRF5gCpkXZaEkifBmKAYUhPaLS3V9DpHduCrKlKVIP8PdjXsP9m9yJnJbuU/s1600/loved+lately+august+2017+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Painted nails ft Barry M.</strong> <em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">(v)</span></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Keeping my nails looking pretty is up there with straightening my hair on the tedious scale but, annoyingly, they both make me feel good about myself. Who knew that painted toe nails would make me feel like I have my life together? Because they do. I've been coating them in Barry M's Gelly Almond nail varnish - which is my all-time favourite - and, as a lil Hobbit who never wears shoes or socks, it's been nice to catch glimpses of the shade during the day. For my fingernails I've been switching up the colour pretty frequently but my go-to shades are Barry M's Ballerina and the Speedy Quick Dry polish in Eat My Dust. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Jane the Virgin.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I do not have the words to articulate exactly how much I adore Jane the Virgin, but for the sake of this post I'll give it a shot. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sometimes, when I'm mentally exhausted, the thought of diving into an intense, action-heavy and darkly emotional fictional word is intimidating. My favourite shows, books and films are all quite heavy - Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, The Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings, The Infernal Devices - and even things like Clannad and Your lie in April are quite emotionally charged. Sometimes all I really want is something that will make me feel happy. Jane the Virgin does that. It's truly wonderful. It's funny and dramatic and romantic and realistic, whilst also being incredibly silly. There isn't one character I dislike and even characters like Rogelio and Xiomara, who on paper I'd usually hate, I absolutely adore. I have laughed more often at Jane the Virgin than I have with any other film, book or TV show <em>ever</em>, and I've also cried with happiness, gasped aloud in shock and squealed with delight. If you haven't watched it than I really must insist that you do - and I dare you to come back to me after five episodes and tell me you're not hooked. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It's been over two years since I last read We Were Liars and I think that this re-read left more of an impression on me that it did the first and second times. As I'm struggling to read at the moment I wanted something that I could really sink my teeth into and We Were Liars filled the role nicely. It's quite short so I flew through it in two sittings across two days and both the interesting writing style and compelling mystery kept me hooked, even though I knew what was coming at the end. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>ASOS Musical Embroidered Flats.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">AKA the most beautiful pair of shoes I've ever owned. I nabbed these babies for £9.50 in the ASOS sale in the middle of August and although they completely destroyed my feet the first few times I wore them, I haven't wanted to wear anything else! They're so sturdy that I'm sure they'll see me through the colder, crisper months before the heavy rain begins to fall. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Game of Thrones.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For the first time ever, Luke and I watched this season of Game of Thrones live. We usually wait until the box-set comes out and I tend to search for spoilers online but this time we watched it properly and it was a nice thing to look forward to each week. I feel like so much happened this season that I haven't really processed any of it yet aside from the sight of Jon Snow's ass. <em>Please and thank you</em>. Lots of little things annoyed me and the pacing was waaaay off but Littlefinger's death was enough for the entire season to qualify as a favourite.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Lush Fairy Dust. </strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">(v)</span></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">On days that I dislike my body a little less, I coat my skin in a gentle sprinkling of this Fairy Dust and it makes everything seem okay again. Fairy Dust over my entire life, please! It has a subtle, gentle shimmer and the most glorious bubble-gum Snow Fairy scent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Baking.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">August has been a busy baking month for me, as it's a lot of people's birthday months! Early on I made my sister's 10th birthday cake (a Crunchie cheesecake), then I made a chocolate orange cake for my Mum's boyfriend's birthday, then two days later a Malteaser cake for Luke's Mum's boyfriend's birthday... then a banana and chocolate loaf just for fun. I have so many ideas for Autumn baking now that birthday season is over (the next significant birthday is my brother's in January) and it'll be fun to experiment with something other than cake.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Other items of note include baby sweetcorn, Tesco's free-from tagliatelle and kittens. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I've been writing 'favourites' posts for years - check the rest of my <a href="http://whatlaurendidtoday.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/favourites" target="_blank">archives here</a> and see what I've loved over the past three years!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://instagram.com/whatlaurendidtoday" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Instagram</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/whatlaaurendid" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Twitter</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12340871" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Bloglovin</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/whatlaurendid/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Pinterest</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">| </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31020554-lauren" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Goodreads</span></a></span></span></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-48441097768181898322017-09-01T11:45:00.002+01:002017-09-24T17:02:17.936+01:00My September To Do List <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-sOcsYHK2NsbaXWVpXHHCihkbUjOB2euhjH93lH7E7KmXOyda_NKYb0mrggf6cx5xIgkFC6XSvmQlZUkuU3RWBPbOpuBhyl7QSIW0p9PRMOBnzeQhLjZWE0ly6q8RZbNON9WwRgzYJM/s1600/my+september+to+do+list+2017+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-sOcsYHK2NsbaXWVpXHHCihkbUjOB2euhjH93lH7E7KmXOyda_NKYb0mrggf6cx5xIgkFC6XSvmQlZUkuU3RWBPbOpuBhyl7QSIW0p9PRMOBnzeQhLjZWE0ly6q8RZbNON9WwRgzYJM/s1600/my+september+to+do+list+2017+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em>Recognise this little baby from my </em></span><a href="http://whatlaurendidtoday.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/8-little-happy-things.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em>8 Little Happy Things</em></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em> post last month? She's grown so much!</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Over the past few weeks I've experienced an intense revival of my love for goals. I've spoken before about the pressures I feel around a 'to do' list (especially ones scrawled in notebooks or on desk pads with 'I'm So Busy' and other intimidating phrases written on them in fancy font) but as I'm growing stronger mentally, I'm finding a lot of solace and motivation within a list of things I want to do each month, week and day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">September brings with it the promise of cosy knits, seasonal festivities and cinnamon-scented baked goods, along with the return of my inspiration. I've let a lot of things slip this year on my quest for mental clarity, and one of those things has been my blog. I'd really like to get back to it, if I can, and to make it work for who and what I am now, instead of trying to force myself into my 2015 mould.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> I also don't want to put too much pressure on myself. I really want to tailor things to work around my recovery, which is the most important thing to me right now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There's just something about September that feels like a fresh start, don't you think?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Things to do this September:</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>1.</strong> Experiment with baking and share a few recipes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>2.</strong> <strike>Spend time with the kittens before they go to their forever-homes.</strike></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>3.</strong> <strike>Refresh my Lush stash with bath bombs galore (bath season is coming!)</strike></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>4.</strong> <strike>Give the Great British Bake Off a chance, even though I dislike the new presenters</strike>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>5.</strong> <strike>Introduce a new fruit or vegetable into my weekly shop</strike>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>6.</strong> Get outside more, even if it's only the back garden.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>7. </strong>Establish a new routine of productivity with lots of rest added appropriately. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>8.</strong> Stand up for myself and my health - I want to be a better personal ally.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>9.</strong> Try yoga. For real this time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>10.</strong> Refer to my planner every morning before I touch social media. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I'm hoping that these mini goals will keep me on track, as I find by mid-month I lose my way and I'm unsure what to do with myself. Using my planner should help with this, as I've been relying on my memory to keep track of things which is never a good idea. I have a few fun little things planned, including weekly visits from my Dad and potentially a little shopping trip with my Mum, so even if I can't manage anything else I have those things to keep me going. I also have a new set of frames for my eyeballs arriving next week and I can't wait to wear them!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">What do you hope to achieve this month?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span><br />Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-49123043565578668132017-08-14T11:00:00.000+01:002017-08-14T11:00:10.807+01:008 Little Happy Things<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLwkiXNi5brcckalvDm3jD02Ml0VueFP9NcBhTRaaPQzrG355RkU_Bi9vfvhZ3UnYrxZSEEUiajPR8Z3mSuAZT_NDDD-bAF4wOWvagTJpGTq3hkzRnFRD3dyWVj2HlRMDAOPxywTW2_I/s1600/the+happy+list+13+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLwkiXNi5brcckalvDm3jD02Ml0VueFP9NcBhTRaaPQzrG355RkU_Bi9vfvhZ3UnYrxZSEEUiajPR8Z3mSuAZT_NDDD-bAF4wOWvagTJpGTq3hkzRnFRD3dyWVj2HlRMDAOPxywTW2_I/s1600/the+happy+list+13+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em><b>Eight little happy things.</b></em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em><b>one</b></em></strong> | Finding a bottle of Lush Fairy Dust in a charity shop for 99p.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em><b>two</b></em></strong> | My amethyst pendant.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em><b>three</b></em></strong> | New Look bralettes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em><b>four</b></em></strong> | High-waisted jeans.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b>five</b></em></strong> | <span style="font-family: "georgia";">Melon bags from McDonalds.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b>six</b></em></strong> | <span style="font-family: "georgia";">Just-warm baby sweetcorn tossed into fried rice.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b>seven</b></em></strong> | The restoration of my print wall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b>eight</b></em></strong> | Holding a teeny tiny kitten in the palm of my hand. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://instagram.com/whatlaurendidtoday" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Instagram</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/whatlaaurendid" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Twitter</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12340871" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Bloglovin</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/whatlaurendid/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Pinterest</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">| </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31020554-lauren" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Goodreads</span></a></span></span></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-39834290632814220692017-07-25T11:00:00.000+01:002017-07-25T11:00:27.212+01:00The Crystals That Called To Me<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu27PKZiGRtTvGHehD12iQv7LKfIOnW0BwBXt-1Oyx85rGNgZRZVvuvl4B6sto2cGF4BWyGPFnRhcK0wtnsTl58xQDxyGijuQgVXkAN6152EGJeSKEmv00KCgdAdxEBKpL4u1ZittbGgc/s1600/crystal+haulin+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+ul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu27PKZiGRtTvGHehD12iQv7LKfIOnW0BwBXt-1Oyx85rGNgZRZVvuvl4B6sto2cGF4BWyGPFnRhcK0wtnsTl58xQDxyGijuQgVXkAN6152EGJeSKEmv00KCgdAdxEBKpL4u1ZittbGgc/s1600/crystal+haulin+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+ul.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I firmly stand by the belief that you should choose and purchase crystals in person - it's a much more personable and inspiring experience, especially when the sales assistant is so calming and knowledgeable. Mum and I headed into town last Friday morning and on the way back to the car we stopped in my favourite crystal store to buy crystals as a gift for Mum's god mother. I didn't intend on buying anything, but a few things screamed at me so I picked them up - I never ignore the internal pull towards a certain crystal, and it's always funny to read up on them later to discover they're exactly what I've been needing. On this occasion I purchased a single crystal and a necklace, and my mum treated me to a polished piece too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The first thing I picked up was this beautiful clear quartz pendant. I wear a rose quartz point daily - I feel incredibly lost without it - and I have amethyst and blue lace agate necklaces but I didn't own any quartz which was strange as quartz is one of the most essential and versatile crystals to own. Clear quartz is great at adapting to offer whatever you need from it and I'm mainly programming it to work with my anxiety and to wear during therapy sessions. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEaqPAZYt0pjYhrVoU1KeeBgfka6twvzUW1rCLGciKEC9GDEzWB5F0Fcp8UySTOWuMSkICqmgfxZhzGF1FRR2Li7cOEAMBBuzjjOrTY1sjzer0qk-odHTQ5tUQqziXeSVZp3zJmwZoQw/s1600/new+crystals+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1408" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEaqPAZYt0pjYhrVoU1KeeBgfka6twvzUW1rCLGciKEC9GDEzWB5F0Fcp8UySTOWuMSkICqmgfxZhzGF1FRR2Li7cOEAMBBuzjjOrTY1sjzer0qk-odHTQ5tUQqziXeSVZp3zJmwZoQw/s1600/new+crystals+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The little blue Amazonite crystal drew me in because of it's promise of protection and affiliation with the Amazonian warrior women. I've been feeling a little vulnerable lately and I want to work with Amazonite to help restore my inner strength and to banish negative energy. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEaqPAZYt0pjYhrVoU1KeeBgfka6twvzUW1rCLGciKEC9GDEzWB5F0Fcp8UySTOWuMSkICqmgfxZhzGF1FRR2Li7cOEAMBBuzjjOrTY1sjzer0qk-odHTQ5tUQqziXeSVZp3zJmwZoQw/s1600/new+crystals+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">My final purchase was the exquisitely pretty and pink Morganite. I didn't know much about it but it <em>screamed</em> at me from the display so I bought it, Googled it when I returned home and laughed in surprise. Morganite is a crystal of Divine Love and brings healing, love and assurance. It cleanses the body and spirit of stress, anxiety, old wounds and trauma and can aid the wearer to move forward with peace and confidence. Morganite is a crystal I didn't know I needed but it's so perfect for me at this time in my life and I find it so interesting that it called to me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">What are your favourite crystals?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-62661166867957524852017-07-16T11:00:00.000+01:002017-07-22T21:16:52.676+01:00The Sunday Post 20<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Well this feels a little nostalgic, doesn't it?! Mainly because I haven't written a Sunday Post since the end of Blogmas and I've been dreaming more and more frequently about Autumn/Winter lately. I feel like sometimes I can't express my adoration of those seasons without fear of being branded a blogging cliché, but I'm so over censoring myself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">These past two weeks have been a ride, guys. I <a href="http://whatlaurendidtoday.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/june.html" target="_blank">caught up with you briefly</a> at the end of June and I was looking towards a comfortably busy and chilled July but my Dad ended up in A&E on his birthday (June 29th) and he was discharged two days ago (July 14th). I honestly feel like I blinked and he was suddenly in surgery. I've<a href="http://whatlaurendidtoday.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/untitled.html" target="_blank"> spoken candidly about my Dad's cancer story</a> in the past and I eluded to a procedure hovering on our horizons then. After six years, the day had finally come. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWwBNTGj4QzCAoFTVYRQhCMVBlZ1YDfdGtUc_VgyPM2nVN9nFcvZtgI5vstjBBMlZeVtCnnMTzFOBiTyTO1cYv8vlQbaZrWywtVKoFVcdKlQQN2kI2GmZEvjm8t8vMl87WNfNgH-1s6I/s1600/the+sunday+post+20+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWwBNTGj4QzCAoFTVYRQhCMVBlZ1YDfdGtUc_VgyPM2nVN9nFcvZtgI5vstjBBMlZeVtCnnMTzFOBiTyTO1cYv8vlQbaZrWywtVKoFVcdKlQQN2kI2GmZEvjm8t8vMl87WNfNgH-1s6I/s1600/the+sunday+post+20+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I had baked him a birthday cake so we took that in when we saw him on his birthday, the night before the operation, and the guys all had a piece whilst I gave Dad his gifts. I'm not going to lie, the following two weeks were incredibly difficult for me, although the fact they were also difficult for Dad gave me the courage to visit him every day. Each time it felt impossible to step through the double doors and up the two flights of stairs to his ward, especially as I often did it alone, but I made it every time. Please, if I ever think I can't do something - remind me of these moments. I'm capable of much more than I imagine. </span><br />
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A post shared by Lauren (@whatlaurendidtoday) on <time datetime="2017-07-02T18:35:46+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jul 2, 2017 at 11:35am PDT</time></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">For the first week that he was in hospital, my brother, Luke and I went to stay at his flat to keep his cat Weller company. I had a nice time, actually, although I missed my Mum and the comfort of my own bed. I think being at the flat stopped me falling apart as I had responsibilities - cooking for myself & Matt, feeding Weller and changing his litter tray, buying groceries, taking out the recycling etc - that I would have let slip at home. My favourite park was also just around the corner, so I got to cycle as much as I wanted. Bless my brother for sitting on park benches waiting for me each time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">At the beginning of this week, though, my body finally caught up with my mind and I fell ill both with my IBS and general flu-ish symptoms. It meant I couldn't go in to see Dad because I didn't want to risk him or the other patients catching my illness as well, which I think was probably a good thing because I'd been hovering on the edge of a breakdown for days. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I'm still kind of ill now, but Dad is home and I needed to support him so on Friday morning I went with my Mum to pick him up from the hospital. I went back to his flat with him to help him sort things out (we had some machinery to set up), get some food shopping and watch A Place In The Sun. We have to interact in a new way now, but I value his presence more than I miss his voice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">How has your week been? </span><br />
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Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-15580416914052284422017-06-30T11:00:00.000+01:002017-06-30T11:00:00.625+01:00June.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">June was a busy ol' month for me, and I feel like I achieved a lot of things despite not setting any goals. I want to get back to creating goals and lists and generally keeping track of my life a little better so, along with another attempt at journaling, I've decided to talk a little on the blog about what I got up to this month.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I didn't get up to much for the first two weeks of the month, although I did take a little trip into town with my family. My little sister had another appointment at the hospital so Luke and I jumped in the car with her and my mum and we wandered around town whilst Leigh saw her consultant. I bought the new Lush bath bomb, Metamorphosis, and then we went to Primark so that Luke could get some weather-appropriate clothing. I made it a few hours before I began to get anxious and instead of going home, in my panic and confusion, I ended up walking all the way to my Dad's flat. It was a nice walk along the harbour and I had my earphones with me, and I met an adorable cat along the way. Despite the fear I felt, it was very re-assuring to know that my own legs could carry me away from my anxiety when I needed them to. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">A few weeks later, Luke and I returned to Dad's flat - this time to stay. Dad went on holiday for two weeks so I spent a handful of days looking after his cat, Weller, whilst a friend cared for him the rest of the time. I had a wonderful time with Luke - we went out every day, even on the days I was depressed and when my IBS flared. We spent a lot of time on the local high street, cycling around the play park I visited often as a child and wandering along the harbour - as well as playing Cities: Skylines for the Xbox One and attempting to cool down with cold baths every morning. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">We marvelled at hot air balloons hovering on the horizon in the evenings, hit lots of PokeStops on our walks and I took lots of photos on my big camera. One of the highlights of my stay was when I found bunches of white roses & peonies for £1 in the local supermarket. It's kick-started my love for peonies - I think I'll treat myself to another bunch soon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When I got home I felt motivated, inspired and ready to put a little more effort into my 'normal' life. Do you ever feel like that after a holiday? Within three days of being home I'd bought a carpet (which my Mum later laid for me), painted the walls of my bedroom and finally found places for all of my knick-knacks. I'd had a horrid burgundy carpet in my room for the 7 years it's been mine (it was my brother's for 3 years before that) and it didn't fit right - too long in some places and too short in others - so having a lovely plush grey carpet feels so exciting. My bedroom is finally coming together! (And I'm still loving my Primark pineapple bedding!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The days since have been a little more </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">mundane and although I've certainly needed the rest and the calm,</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I've felt a little worse-for-wear.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Good days come with a price,</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> but it's always worth paying. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Next month I'm hoping to get back on top of things and to head outside a little more - but also to rest when I need to and to stop beating myself up when those days arise. </span><br />
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Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-25444157246109600122017-06-21T11:00:00.000+01:002017-06-21T11:00:14.186+01:004 More YouTube Channels I'm Loving Right Now<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> discovered a few YouTube channels lately and I thought they were worth sharing!</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/DrawWithJazza" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Draw With Jazza</strong></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've made no secret of my poor artistic ability so it's incredibly satisfying and awe-inspiring to watch someone else draw something beautiful. I can't remember how exactly I came across Draw With Jazza but I watched one video and I was hooked - I watched all of his 'Character Design Session' videos in one sitting! He's so entertaining and idk I just like Australian accents, man.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>A video to start with:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uIoJDt-GFU&t=484s" target="_blank">Sexy Apocalypse Ghost - Character Design Session</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8JNkAD1dZtkL1foKpb5ci1us0njCzO1NltQ1NP7uJfCCP3FKeT5dLP1pbbyE5PdlGYXLgOqs1MP_LDzxR0hWVW-gTVVbJoyABmEvpGjqKvvDXnownLgUApEtpATk5adI9pkO876KoVs/s1600/sdfg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8JNkAD1dZtkL1foKpb5ci1us0njCzO1NltQ1NP7uJfCCP3FKeT5dLP1pbbyE5PdlGYXLgOqs1MP_LDzxR0hWVW-gTVVbJoyABmEvpGjqKvvDXnownLgUApEtpATk5adI9pkO876KoVs/s1600/sdfg.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/hannahgirasol" target="_blank"><strong>Hannah Witton</strong></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I discovered Hannah's channel after she collaborated with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/meowitslucy" target="_blank">Lucy Moon</a> during VEDJ but it wasn't until recently that I watched every episode of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jx6sSpis9g&list=PLg3ISyIIul8f1PYzVzjPu6dZLYPmaAGlE" target="_blank">The Hormone Diaries</a>. Hannah talks frankly, honestly and charismatically about sex, periods, feminism and books - I especially like her monthly favourites and admire her enthusiasm for all things fangirl-y (like Harry Potter ya feel me). I recently bought her book, too, and I think it's brilliant. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>A video to start with:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpBku_K_hzE" target="_blank">Trying a Menstrual Cup for the First Time | The Hormone Diaries Ep. 9</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcOeS5aEIadAhKtJ9_VKAIw" target="_blank"><strong>Ladylike</strong></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I've been watching Ladylike for a few months on the Boldly channel (previously Buzzfeed) but they have their own YouTube channel now and I am l i v i n g for it. I was gutted when Saf left as she was my favourite (along with Freddie!) but Devin has replaced her and I'm kind of okay with it. Ladylike is a group of five women who share and trial lifestyle challenges, make-up opinions and a bunch of body and sex confident content. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>A video to start with: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHCnI8TblRA" target="_blank">Ladylike Goes 30 Days Without Shaving</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5V9zJTVnmvcrvWwd7AA8yKXq-n6Xfzm00X6mQ8-SQscnAx649qkl3zwIlg4-VcSu6bXwF17ByaZujsiUw_F0xPE12yiiOhOL1uVzMnt_qwO6VCb3YE_l9XL0P-RR5wxRO4Ch0Grj6rvQ/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="175" data-original-width="1060" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5V9zJTVnmvcrvWwd7AA8yKXq-n6Xfzm00X6mQ8-SQscnAx649qkl3zwIlg4-VcSu6bXwF17ByaZujsiUw_F0xPE12yiiOhOL1uVzMnt_qwO6VCb3YE_l9XL0P-RR5wxRO4Ch0Grj6rvQ/s1600/unnamed.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"><strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/MelaNiieVideos" target="_blank">Melanie Murphy</a></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Another case of 'how was I not watching this before???' with Melanie Murphy's channel! One of her 'Food Diary Friday' videos popped up in my recommended list and I'm so into foodie videos so I watched it and then proceeded to watch every single video she'd posted in 2017. I just <em>love</em> her. I love her outlook on life and food and sexuality, I love her humour, I love how open and honest she is - you know when you find a YouTuber or blogger and you know you'd be friends with them if you met them IRL? They're always the best to watch. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>A video to start with:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZoKXWgJH_0" target="_blank">Reasons To Get Healthy That Aren't 'Get Skinny' | Food Diary Friday</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Considering this post and the channels I shared in my other '<a href="https://whatlaurendidtoday.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/4-youtube-channels-im-loving-right-now.html" target="_blank">YouTube Channels I'm Loving Right Now</a>' post it's pretty obvious what kind of channels I like on YouTube - anything lifestyle, feminist, cruelty-free and inspiring! Granted Draw With Jazza seems a little out of place in this list, but what can I say? I'm a multi-faceted human and all that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://instagram.com/whatlaurendidtoday" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Instagram</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/whatlaaurendid" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Twitter</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12340871" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Bloglovin</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/whatlaurendid/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Pinterest</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">| </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31020554-lauren" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Goodreads</span></a></span></span></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-81773203008075351862017-06-19T11:00:00.000+01:002017-06-19T11:00:14.115+01:00Cruelty-Free Skincare for Dry & Sensitive Skin<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbWOMVfQtLMdq8xguWuiJk1EaxB-7GrmkkVIQ2XvDYgrZsRIFdUYLMZxOCrDVvKEmes3SN0KVFKTtIYdRbnmIr-ec3M3xb3jl4ipmfWyM_3QR8TMueSEdj1Um6UL0I9DfCYBM_JCWxdBI/s1600/crueltyfree+skincare+for+sensitive+skin+what+lauren+did+today+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbWOMVfQtLMdq8xguWuiJk1EaxB-7GrmkkVIQ2XvDYgrZsRIFdUYLMZxOCrDVvKEmes3SN0KVFKTtIYdRbnmIr-ec3M3xb3jl4ipmfWyM_3QR8TMueSEdj1Um6UL0I9DfCYBM_JCWxdBI/s1600/crueltyfree+skincare+for+sensitive+skin+what+lauren+did+today+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a></div>
<strong><em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Proof I'm sticking to my new year's goals.</i></b> </span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've spoken a handful of times about the topics I studied at college (aromatherapy and massage being my favourites) but I've never really applied any of my knowledge to the ol' blog. When I was at college I ran a different blog and shared a series of posts all about skincare - how to determine your skin type, the best corresponding products to use and how ~professionals~ perform a facial routine. I really want to brush up on my knowledge and skills as I've moved away from them over the past few years and I think they're a real asset. This also falls in nicely with one of my new year's goals, which was to get back into my skincare routine! Now that I've finally figured out the type of make-up I like to wear, having clear, soft skin as a base has made all the difference. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My skin is both sensitive and dry, with brief periods (no pun intended) of oiliness during <em>that</em> time of the month. I don't usually have a lot of blemishes to content with, so my skincare routine has been curated to battle my flaky dry patches, large pores and redness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are a few key words I look for when choosing skincare, mainly because I know the ingredients that irritate and ingredients that soothe my skin. I avoid any type of foaming cleanser, preferring to choose something like a cleansing milk or balm, as they're more nourishing and most foaming cleansers can be quite drying - great for oily skin, not so much for dry! I also avoid tea tree, as it's way too harsh for me. Ingredients like vitamin E, aloe, oats, camomile and cucumber are incredibly gentle on the skin, so I usually go for anything containing those. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong><u>Cleansers.</u></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm using two cleansers at the moment - the </span><a href="https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-gb/face/view-all/camomile-silky-cleansing-oil/p/p000934" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil</span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and the </span><a href="http://www.superdrug.com/Skincare/Superdrug-Naturally-Radiant-Hot-Cloth-Cleanser-150ml/p/516251" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Superdrug Naturally Radiant Hot Cloth Cleanser</span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> (<em><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><i>v</i></b></span></strong></em></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">). I'll use the cleansing oil as m 'pre-cleanse' to remove any make-up residue, remove it with a damp flannel and then work in the hot cloth cleanser. I'm still not sure if I like the cleansing oil - it leaves my skin feeling incredibly soft, but the oiliness leaves me feeling a little mucky. I'm quite sure it's all in my head, because it's a lovely cleanser, but I won't be repurchasing. The hot cloth cleanser has been a favourite of mine since 2015 and my skin feels incredible after using it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My make-up remover of choice at the moment is the </span><a href="https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-gb/range/view-all/camomile-gentle-eye-make-up-remover/p/p000936" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Body Shop Camomile Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover</span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">. I've been using the B. Micellar Water which works fine for me, although it stings my eyes! The Body Shop Camomile make-up remover is gentle but still v powerful! I wear thick layers of mascara and it dissolves it quickly and easily. Love!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I also have the </span><a href="https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-gb/range/view-all/camomile-sumptuous-cleansing-butter/p/p000186" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter</span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, which I haven't used yet but thought I'd mention as it ticks two of my boxes with the calming camomile and the nourishing effect of the butter formula.</span> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjks3wluCpT9AEJ9yKJLKAdMurK3nXSINUXbGUudUtvdAhMjv1jz8CoDuOxqAYXAxYfxrAIKhbniF0oKv_Mam0F0b9iTQRO2HtRvD8cWPbIuC8ZC_KRQHxsGM6waa8W5BGJ43ehn8z7Uwk/s1600/vegan+skincare+for+sensitive+skin+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjks3wluCpT9AEJ9yKJLKAdMurK3nXSINUXbGUudUtvdAhMjv1jz8CoDuOxqAYXAxYfxrAIKhbniF0oKv_Mam0F0b9iTQRO2HtRvD8cWPbIuC8ZC_KRQHxsGM6waa8W5BGJ43ehn8z7Uwk/s1600/vegan+skincare+for+sensitive+skin+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong><u>Exfoliators.</u></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">These exfoliators are the newest additions to my skincare routine but my skin had been gasping for them for aaaages. The Hot Cloth Cleanser does a pretty good job of removing build-up and buffing away general flakiness but using an exfoliant once a week has really helped brighten my skin and keep the dryness at bay. The two I have are both from Superdrug: one from the Vitamin E range, the other from their Simply Pure range which is specifically for sensitive skin. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The </span><a href="http://www.superdrug.com/Skin/Face/Cleansing-Scrubs/Superdrug-Vitamin-E-Facial-Scrub-100ml/p/282600" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Vitamin E Gentle Oatmeal Exfoliator</span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> (<strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><i>v</i></b></span></em></strong></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">) was chosen mainly because of the name! I knew that the Vitamin E, 'gentle' and 'oatmeal' would be kind to my skin and it's been working nicely so far. It's full of little oats and tiny pieces of walnut shell, which is carried on a deliciously scented cleansing milk-type liquid. The </span><a href="http://www.superdrug.com/Save-up-to-1-2-price-across-Skincare/Superdrug-Simply-Pure-Smoothing-Face-Scrub-75ml/p/296833" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Simply Pure Smoothing Face Scrub</span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> (<strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><i>v</i></b></span></em></strong>) is even gentler again, carried on a fragrance-free cleansing milk with less exfoliating pieces through-out but sometimes that's needed for extremely sensitive skin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong><u>Toners & Moisturisers.</u></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This </span><a href="https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-gb/my-skin-type/soothed-hydrated-skin/aloe-calming-toner/p/p000169" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner</span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> is, weirdly, my favourite skincare item! I had been using the Superdrug Vitamin E Toning Mist and it was really hydrating but not particularly good at toning. I have a lot of redness and quite large pores scattered across my nose and cheeks, so I needed something to ease all of that whilst still sucking in those pores and sealing my skin after cleansing. This toner is brilliant for both of those things!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The moisturiser I'm using right now is the </span><a href="http://www.superdrug.com/Skin/Face/Face-Day-Creams/Superdrug-Vitamin-E-SPF15-Moisturising-Cream-100ml/p/282713" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Vitamin E SPF15 Moisturising Cream</span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> (<strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><i>v</i></b></span></em></strong></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">) from Superdrug. It's okay but nothing to write home about!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><u><span style="font-size: large;">Masks.</span></u></strong> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've spoken multiple times about my love for the </span><a href="http://www.superdrug.com/Superdrug/Superdrug-Cucumber-Cooling-Mask/p/440355" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Superdrug Cooling Cucumber face mask</span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> (<strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><i>v</i></b></span></em></strong></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">) but here we are again! It's been specifically formulated for sensitive skin but is still great at absorbing extra oils, cooling redness and deep cleansing blemishes during my moon time! I can't rave about this mask enough, honestly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This routine has being doing my skin the <em>world</em> of good. I used to get self-conscious about foundation clinging to my dryness, but it's not the case anymore. I tend to follow this routine in the morning and (guilty) use a micellar water to remove my make-up at night. Ideally I'd do it morning and night, but I'm accepting small victories at this point hah!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://instagram.com/whatlaurendidtoday" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Instagram</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/whatlaaurendid" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Twitter</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12340871" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Bloglovin</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/whatlaurendid/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Pinterest</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">| </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31020554-lauren" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Goodreads</span></a></span></span></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-31813205789180605112017-06-18T11:00:00.000+01:002017-09-18T20:18:23.511+01:0015 Little Happy Things<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b>Fifteen little happy things...</b></em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b></b></em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b>one</b></em></strong> | Jane the Virgin.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b>two</b></em></strong> | Cities: Skylines for the Xbox One.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b>three</b></em></strong> | 9pm walks along the harbourside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b>four</b></em></strong> | £1 bunches of white roses & peonies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b>five</b></em></strong> | Feeling inspired.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b>six</b></em></strong> | Leaving the house without my safety items and not panicking.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b>seven</b></em></strong> | Cooking for Luke.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b>eight</b> </em></strong>| My Topshop midi dress (bought via a charity shop, hollaaaaa)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b>nine</b></em></strong> | Wearing liquid eyeliner.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b>ten</b></em></strong> | Blush pink everything.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em><b>eleven</b></em></strong> | Watching hot air balloons fly overhead.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b>twelve</b></em></strong> | A cold breeze on a hot Saturday. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b>thirteen</b> </em></strong>| My new blog layout.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em><b>fourteen</b></em></strong> | Grace's blog, <a href="http://almostamazinggrace.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Almost Amazing Grace</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em><b>fifteen</b> |</em></strong></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Teeny tiny Party Rings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What tiny things have made you happy recently?</span><br />
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Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-61290962864234535212017-06-14T11:00:00.000+01:002017-06-14T11:00:04.402+01:00The Game | Creative Writing <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Thursday 23rd February 2017 </span></em></strong></span><br />
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<span lang=""><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">A Ravenclaw, a
Hufflepuff, a Gryffindor and a Slytherin sit around the top of a faux-leather
pouffe, a game of Frustration between them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">It starts out
innocently enough, although the Ravenclaw seems to have bad luck from the first
time she presses the clear plastic pod that houses the dice. The other players
quickly collect sixes and their mini pegs fly around the board whilst the
lonely Ravenclaw provides a sparkling commentary. All is not lost - she manages
to secure a place home for one of her 'little 'Claws', as she calls them -
until the Hufflepuff wins the game. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Pegs are moved
back to their original places and the Slytherin, hooded in a black cloak with
his sidekick (a Jack Russell named Thor) between his knees, silently curses
the other players - at least that's what they suspect. They're all sat
awkwardly together on the floor, the Ravenclaw's legs brushing against the
Hufflepuff's, and they each complain at a time how uncomfortable they are. None
of them seem to care much though, and they refuse faux-fur cushions when
they're offered, because the next game is about to begin. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Again, again:
luck is not on Ravenclaw's side. Her little 'Claws remain in their locked
places, awaiting a six to set them free. The bickering begins this game and she
reminds them all, a little indulgently and in the way that only a Ravenclaw
can, that the game itself <em>is</em> called 'Frustration'. Gryffindor, always so
headstrong, consistently attempts to make moves and then corrects herself,
something the Slytherin and Hufflepuff will not stand for. They chastise her
and together decide that this is a new rule for the game: once your fingers
brush one of your own pegs, you have to move it. This ends up biting each of
them in the Pygmy Puff at some point as the Ravenclaw (when she finally
releases a 'Claw) and the Gryffindor both take out a yellow or green peg
because of it. Again, the Ravenclaw manages to take one of her 'Claws home
before the game is won, this time by the cunning and increasingly competitive
Slytherin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">The final game
starts quickly and Slytherin is vicious from the get-go. He's calculating and
ruthless, always two steps ahead the rest of them. He reminds them frequently,
in an increasingly frustrated-yet-elated voice, that he is 'The Player' of them
all and he will not stand to lose. As tensions rise a casual yet distinct sense
of urgency settles upon the players and allegiances are forged with a glance:
the Ravenclaw and the Gryffindor, and the Slytherin and the Hufflepuff. Dirty
moves are met with a growing dismay from the only witness: another Hufflepuff,
one who is not so loyal to her House but loyal to its characteristics - for how
could she wave yellow flags when three of her children are competing against
them? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">The game is so
heated, and so quick-paced, that each player pushes the clear dome with enough
desperation and force to pop the little pegs out of their homes. The job to
restore them lies on Ravenclaw, because she has little else to do - the sixes
are not on her side today, and her loyalty to the Gryffindor, her youngest
sister, gets her taken out before she has a chance to make more than a few
moves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Gryffindor also
comes across this problem, but restores her luck with a little magic: she pulls
out her 'lucky stone', a rough-cut chunk of Amethyst that glistens in the low
light. When it's time for her to make a move, she shuts both eyes tight and
touches her thumbs with her forefingers, counts to five and then pops the dome...
and gets a six four out of the five times she tries. Ravenclaw is laughing now, cackling with her head thrown back, and the Gryffindor is giggling in
a way that gets the Hufflepuffs going too. But not Slytherin - he's too focused
on those little green pegs and how he's going to get them home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">The Gryffindor
restores the Ravenclaw's honour, though, in that typical Gryffindor fashion,
and sets her sights on Slytherin as she plans her every move. It becomes
apparent very quickly who is going to win this game, and with the sacrifices
proud Ravenclaw made it seems only fitting. The Gryffindor eventually, finally,
brings all of her little Lions home, with a great cheer from herself and
Ravenclaw. The Slytherin finishes second - of course - and the Hufflepuff
third. The Ravenclaw still holds her beaked face high, receiving torment from
both the Hufflepuff and the Slytherin for the noble - but probably stupid -
sacrifices on Gryffindor's behalf, but still happy none-the-less. It was the
first time in a long time that they'd played this game together and she
couldn't help but appreciate the humour and strategy each House brought to the
gameplay. And it also made one thing very clear: if she'd ever doubted her
brother was a Slytherin before, she definitely didn't now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang=""><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I wrote this immediately after the events happened and thought it was quite a fun, unique way to document an evening of my life that I wouldn't have recorded otherwise. </span></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia";">It's incredibly different to anything I've posted on my blog </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">before but it's the first finished piece of creative writing, albeit a short one, that I've written in a very very long time and I guess that in itself is something to celebrate! <em>(Even if it does make me feel vaguely nauseated at the thought of someone else reading it.) </em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I've been feeling some feels regarding my blog lately and I feel like I let it slip away from me for a little while - I spent a lot of time thinking about other people's opinions over my own - so I'm hoping that sharing this piece of writing will be the turning point in reclaiming this little space. </span></div>
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<span lang=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And I'll leave you to decide if Leigh's lucky stone is fictional or real ;)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://instagram.com/whatlaurendidtoday" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Instagram</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/whatlaaurendid" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Twitter</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12340871" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Bloglovin</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/whatlaurendid/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Pinterest</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">| </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31020554-lauren" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Goodreads</span></a></span></span></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-48926442486131450002017-06-12T11:00:00.000+01:002017-06-12T11:00:02.406+01:00Songs For June<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I mentioned in one of my Self-Care Sunday posts a few months ago that I'd been using music as a kind of self-therapy, and since then I've been trying to figure out exactly how to share the playlists I've created. I used to have all of my music downloaded onto my phone or I listened via YouTube but I now have a Spotify account and I just learned that you can embed entire playlists into a blog post! So here we are ~</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you've ever wondered about my taste in music, the playlist below will introduce you pretty well. I mainly listen to bands (as in bands that play their own instruments etc) and most of my music is kind of ~alternate~ (although what it's alternate to idk) and I don't really listen to pop or the Top 40 outside of the car radio, so maybs consider that before you take a listen. I also tend to stick to the same songs and bands - I'm trying my best to branch out but it's hardddddd when all I wanna do is listen to the same song over and over until I hate it. Outside of the musicians listed, I do like instrumental music if I'm feeling overwhelmed and anxious, mainly because I get a little sensitive to the sound of people talking/singing sometimes. </span><br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/user/larziee-luna/playlist/49K8zNjkPy3axDhBdVQA10" width="300"></iframe><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The newest additions to this playlist are the songs from All Time Low's new album, Last Young Renegade. I've been <em>quite</em> the ATL fangirl since I was about 14 but I recently lost touch with their music following a... thing. Maybe I'll talk about it in detail another time, because it was pretty significant to me, but Last Young Renegade was exactly what I needed and I'm firmly back on board with my babes. My favourite songs from the album are Drugs & Candy, Afterglow, Dark Side Of Your Room, Nice2KnoU, Ground Control and Nightmares. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Melanie Martinez is someone who absolutely fascinates me and I'm glad I have full access to her album Cry Baby on Spotify - I'd been listening to Alphabet Boy and Dollhouse on YouTube for ages. Bad Suns are a recent discovery of mine but I absolutely fuckin' adore them, and of course LA Devotee and Death of a Bachelor by Panic! at the Disco are featured. Brendon Urie's voice is absolutely stunning, the lyrics are cool af and Brendon is just a babe and I lowkey want to marry him. Two songs from Paramore's new album made the cut, because the lyrics are just rly relatable, aren't they? Also two songs from Harry Styles' new album - altho I called it a long time ago that his solo ventures would be my fave out of the 1D lads. I just love his whole vibe. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">The 1975 are noticeably absent from my playlist, mainly because I overplayed them at the beginning of the year (I listened to UGH!, Love Me and The Sound on repeat for about two months) and also because their previous album got me through college and I don't have room for the awful flashbacks rn. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://instagram.com/whatlaurendidtoday" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Instagram</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/whatlaaurendid" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Twitter</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12340871" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Bloglovin</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/whatlaurendid/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Pinterest</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">| </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31020554-lauren" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Goodreads</span></a></span></span></div>
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Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-45936258708398996542017-05-18T15:53:00.003+01:002017-05-18T15:53:57.392+01:00Lush Think Pink Bath Bomb<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Did you know that Lush recently re-invented their classic Think Pink bath bomb?! I didn't until I spotted it in-store yesterday. Needless to say I snapped one up real quick. It was one of the few left in stock so I'm glad I got there when I did! I also got my hands on the glorious limited edition tote bag - finally using the gift card my Nan got me for Christmas!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The new Think Pink is a little pricier but it's been completely re-vamped and I loved it more this time around. The vanilla-based scent is a little woodier, it's packed with glimmer and glitter and the bath art is just glorious. It feels so luxurious and special to use, which is of course what you want when you're dropping £4.25 on a single bomb! It's much larger in size and has a cool ripple design on the outside which is dusted generously with <em>more</em> glitter. Despite the amount of sparkle, it didn't irritate my sometimes-sensitive skin and left me feeling oh-so smoothy smooth and moisturised. Perhaps give yourself & your tub a little rinse post-bath, though, unless you enjoy being covered in glitter (like me).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I used this bath bomb this morning, post-therapy, and it was glorious! I didn't have any expectations as I hadn't read reviews or seen it on Insta before-hand and I think it heightened the experience for me. It reminds me a little of when I first got into Lush (waaay back in 2013) and would take risks with buying bath bombs before seeing what they looked like in action. It was fun! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">You can buy the new Think Pink in-store and <a href="https://uk.lush.com/products/bath-bombs/think-pink" target="_blank">online</a> for £4.25. It's suitable for vegetarians and vegans.</span></div>
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Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-77107005609755330392017-05-08T13:00:00.000+01:002017-06-10T22:04:10.865+01:005 Mini Book Reviews <br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In an effort to talk more about the books I've been reading & loving, I thought I'd put a little spin on my usual book review style. I like to write long, in-depth reviews because I have a lot of thoughts and opinions on a lot of things but it steadily grew more daunting to write them - especially if they were for a book I've really loved. I try my best to think critically and logically about books when I review them as I'm a v emotional person and sometimes my emotions cloud my judgement, but that meant that I wasn't ever talking about the books that really <em>moved</em> me. Today I thought I'd challenge myself to write tiny reviews of the books I've read so far this year - using 100 words or less.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"><strong>Bloom by Estee Lalonde.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>249 pages | published: 2016</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I love watching Estee's vlogs so I was v grateful to receive her lifestyle guide/autobiography Bloom for Christmas. She talks about a lot of different things including self-love, self-care and mental heath which are my favourite things to read about in terms of non-fiction! Estee writes so honestly and I found a lot of comfort in it. My favourite chapters are 'Life', 'Home' and 'Food' - 'Travel' and 'Beauty' don't really interest me - and although the photography is beautiful, I wish the photos were larger!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"><strong>Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">481 pages | published: 2012</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I only bought </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and read this book because of the ~hype~ which is usually a teller that a book is easy to read (in my experience, anyway.) I flew through it in a few hours and then watched the film right after which I didn't enjoy as much as the book despite Emilia Clarke playing the lead. I think this book opened my eyes a little in terms of ableism and day-to-day accessibility for wheelchair users but as someone who is able-bodied I don't feel I can comment on the pros and cons of the disabled storyline as a whole. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"><strong>My Name is Girl by Nina Cosford.</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">128 pages | published: 2016</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I'd seen this book a handful of times on Instagram but I didn't think to purchase it until I found it in a charity shop for £1. Packed full of beautiful illustrations, it's a kind of autobiography-slash-collection of observations of what it is to be a modern day woman shown through images and lists. I liked it - especially the illustration style - but I didn't relate to it that much. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCYtCahBslU7Ihyphenhyphen1UNsNnk-lwfoLNSH1FC7aYyuFQS2rZeraImPjo8a1jsIsifo27gbv1bEjzpnDDE5UcOhtjvA6KYkEjJwGFkDNcbILejR5k3godyOSIyJ7FXetrbpYqrQeGUwD0Qms/s1600/acowar+mini+book+reviews+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCYtCahBslU7Ihyphenhyphen1UNsNnk-lwfoLNSH1FC7aYyuFQS2rZeraImPjo8a1jsIsifo27gbv1bEjzpnDDE5UcOhtjvA6KYkEjJwGFkDNcbILejR5k3godyOSIyJ7FXetrbpYqrQeGUwD0Qms/s1600/acowar+mini+book+reviews+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"><strong>A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas.</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">626 pages | published: 2016</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">It isn't often that the middle book in a trilogy is my favourite but I loved ACOMAF so much that I read it twice over. Feyre's character development is beautiful to read and the balance between building tension & the explosive fall-out was perfect for me. I felt so many feels during this book - happiness, on-the-edge-of-my-seat fear, sadness, surprise - that it's become one of my all-time favourites. It's one of the best books I've ever read. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas.</span></strong> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>699 pages | published: 2017</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Reading this book made me think that maybe I don't connect with Sarah J Maas's writing as much as I want to because it really didn't make me feel anything at all (just like ACOTAR & TOG). Problems were solved so quickly after they arose that I didn't have time to care or fear and the first 300 pages were so packed full of information that it was tedious to read. Characters were introduced but not fleshed-out and... it was all just a little too happy for me. I wanted it to break me and it didn't. Great race & LGB diversity though!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Well this was more difficult than I thought it would be! Turns out that once I get started I find it really hard to shut up. (Story of my life.) Let's just pretend that all of these mini reviews are under 100 words, shall we? I'm off by 3 words on two of them but as I was waaay under for some of the others I think it all evens out okay. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://instagram.com/whatlaurendidtoday" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Instagram</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/whatlaaurendid" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Twitter</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12340871" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Bloglovin</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/whatlaurendid/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Pinterest</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">| </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31020554-lauren" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Goodreads</span></a></span></span></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-89014639018452736682017-04-14T17:20:00.001+01:002017-04-14T17:20:12.310+01:00Chocolate Easter Biscuits (Vegan)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'll start off this recipe post by apologising for having two baking posts in a row! I'd had the flapjacks post scheduled for weeks and today I ended up making some chocolate biscuits for Easter that were nice enough to earn a recipe post of their own. And since Easter is literally two days away I figured I'd just pop this up today rather than leave it too late. Scheduling issues aside - can we have a little lol at my poor icing skills? I did everything by the book (or blog - as I used the icing I shared in my <a href="https://whatlaurendidtoday.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/vegan-gingerbread-biscuits-egg-free.html" target="_blank">gingerbread Blogmas post</a> last December) and I still somehow messed it up. I'm just not very artistic hahah. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I had a real nightmare trying to find a recipe to make simple vegan sugar cookies. I wanted to make Easter shaped biscuits because my stomach finds chocolate (even vegan chocolate) quite hard to handle and I still wanted something to nibble on whilst everyone was necking Mini Eggs. Turns out it's a lot more difficult to find a simple vegan recipe for biscuits that won't spread so I turned to my old <a href="https://whatlaurendidtoday.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/vegan-gingerbread-biscuits-egg-free.html" target="_blank">vegan gingerbread recipe</a> and altered it a little to make chocolate biscuits instead. It turned out alarmingly well (it was my first try and they were gooood) and I think they're nice enough on their own if you wanted to skip the icing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">INGREDIENTS</span></strong> (Makes 20 generous biscuits)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">♥ 100g vegan butter. I use the dairy-free Flora as it's more creamy than oily.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">♥ 50g soft brown sugar.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">♥ 35g caster sugar.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">♥ 4 tablespoons of golden syrup.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">♥ 2 tablespoons of soy milk.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">♥ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">♥ 250g plain flour.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">♥ 30g + 2 tablespoons cocoa power. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">♥ 1/2 teaspoon salt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">♥ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>METHOD</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Step one.</em></strong> Put your butter, sugars, golden syrup and soy milk into a bowl and heat together. I used my microwave and it took exactly 2 minutes, although I took it out and stirred it after 1 minute. Stir it together really well until all of the little blobs of butter have melted, then add your vanilla extract and stir again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Step two.</em></strong> Sieve your flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder into a large bowl and stir until combined. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Step three.</em></strong> Add your warm sugary-buttery liquid into the dry ingredients and stir together until it forms a loose dough. It's a little sticky and not very cookie-dough-like but don't you worry!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Step four.</em></strong> Tip your dough onto some cling film, wrap it up tight and pop it into the freezer for one hour. You can prepare your baking trays with baking paper now, although don't preheat the oven until step five!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Step five.</em></strong> Once the hour is up, remove your dough from the freezer and cling film and preheat your oven to 180oc. It's quite a stiff dough at first but give it a really quick knead and it should be easier to work with. I rolled mine quite thick - perhaps an inch or so deep - and then cut out my shapes. Try and choose cookie cutters which are all relatively the same size otherwise your cookies will all bake at different times!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Step six.</em></strong> Lay all of your shapes onto your baking trays. Don't worry about leaving a lot of room between them because they only spread the tiiiniest amount. I baked my biscuits for exactly 15 minutes, although the baking time could vary from 12-16 minutes depending on how giant your cookie cutters are, so take that into consideration.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Step seven.</em></strong> Once your cookies are baked, remove them from the baking trays and onto wire racks to cool completely. Whilst they're cooling, carry on with the <a href="https://whatlaurendidtoday.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/vegan-gingerbread-biscuits-egg-free.html" target="_blank">icing recipe</a> which you'll find in my gingerbread post - I'd write it here but this post is long enough as it is! The only small change I made was to add some vegan pink food colouring to some of the icing. I'll also say that the icing recipe makes waaaay too much icing for just 20 biscuits, so perhaps half or even quarter the recipe if you're not planning on making another batch. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Step eight.</em></strong> Once your cookies are completely cool, begin to ice them! I tried to 'flood' them with pink icing and then draw a design with the white icing but I completely fxcked it up hahaha, so simple stripes worked best for me. Feel free to let your creativity run wild and don't worry if you mess up like I did - we're all friends here, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Aaand you're done! These biscuits are nice and crisp around the outside but still soft and chewy in the middle. Tbh you could just completely skip the icing step altogether if you wanted because these biscuits are sweet and chocolatey enough on their own, although the icing does take them to another sweet level! Perfect for Easter, no?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://instagram.com/whatlaurendidtoday" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Instagram</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> | </span></span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/whatlaaurendid" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Twitter</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> | </span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12340871" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bloglovin</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> | </span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/whatlaurendid/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pinterest</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">| </span></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31020554-lauren" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Goodreads</span></span></a></span></span></span></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-1182437842939228472017-04-13T13:30:00.000+01:002017-04-13T13:30:13.862+01:00Easy Vegan Flapjacks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjF8gBhT0u_ns7rL2VOcnBaxGeKW1Q8UOxrn2Ah6DEqOY2sEffOn_ReuuT9K1hYdHBY5B9NEfDTRlXOFNfeB5BoK4kcWLx2um20DPpTSmorq3yfMF4RKcwFBiTvW1aq5P_M0oALDePdQ0/s1600/easy+vegan+flapjacks+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjF8gBhT0u_ns7rL2VOcnBaxGeKW1Q8UOxrn2Ah6DEqOY2sEffOn_ReuuT9K1hYdHBY5B9NEfDTRlXOFNfeB5BoK4kcWLx2um20DPpTSmorq3yfMF4RKcwFBiTvW1aq5P_M0oALDePdQ0/s1600/easy+vegan+flapjacks+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A few weeks ago I shared a photo of these flapjacks <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BQdQ_EiFN_G/?taken-by=whatlaurendidtoday" target="_blank">on Instagram</a> and a few people said they'd like the recipe so here we are!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I adapted it from <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1148640/yummy-golden-syrup-flapjacks" target="_blank">this recipe on BBC Good Food,</a> by swapping out the dairy butter for dairy-free and reducing the amount of sugar used after reading the comments. This is my second vegan batch and, again, they didn't last more than 24 hours at my house! My mum goes especially mad for them. Unlike regular 'shop bought' flapjacks these are more crumbly than soft but I prefer them that way - they're rather nice crumbled over yoghurt or Swedish Glaze ice cream, too! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbgliFxyj8LAyLH3mUEGbU6LFtWrqPy_2n0MN24faPrHwMCgmiQ7I6-xwEO3FqiwFhHCXOvriDI5-5dtQ-tAUt3wrKLdOGutKwx8DjBMOVKtJO7nwg_mLN0FVElp1PAvEUJMO201SXIg/s1600/vegan+flapjacks+recipe+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbgliFxyj8LAyLH3mUEGbU6LFtWrqPy_2n0MN24faPrHwMCgmiQ7I6-xwEO3FqiwFhHCXOvriDI5-5dtQ-tAUt3wrKLdOGutKwx8DjBMOVKtJO7nwg_mLN0FVElp1PAvEUJMO201SXIg/s1600/vegan+flapjacks+recipe+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"><strong>Ingredients (makes 12 squares) ::</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">♥</span> 250g oats.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">♥</span> 125g vegan butter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">♥</span> 3 tbsp golden syrup.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">♥</span> 80g brown sugar.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Method ::</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>1.</strong> Preheat your oven to 180oc. Prepare a small rectangle baking tray with baking paper.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>2.</strong> Melt the butter, sugar and syrup together in a bowl. I used my microwave and it took 1.5 minutes but the exact time will depend on the power of your microwave (mine is fairly weak haha). Try it in 30 second bursts if you'd prefer so the butter doesn't end up burning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>3.</strong> Pour the melted mixture over your oats and stir together. Make sure the oats are all covered evenly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>4.</strong> Tip the oaty mix into your tray and spread it all out with a spatula/knife/your clean hands. Try and make it as even and flat as possible. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>5.</strong> Bake for 18-20 minutes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>6.</strong> Leave to cool slightly before slicing into 12 squares. I'm particularly bad at this and they all end up different sizes but I manage to get 12 of them each time so I must be doing something right. Allow the flapjacks to cool almost completely before removing them from the pan and onto a baking tray. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmRazB14lUI-GFwt-TFlKsYeOTcf8e4lDBaxfGw_UqxAabkZPrH6-69NH0r5EML603mUadypPBGeBTmnPJRKgPBjAxM_h-7Lduj8eikcDw0bDVa7EABQ2z96oAoUCdf1dHVt4j4hTPYs/s1600/easy+vegan+flapjacks+recipe+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmRazB14lUI-GFwt-TFlKsYeOTcf8e4lDBaxfGw_UqxAabkZPrH6-69NH0r5EML603mUadypPBGeBTmnPJRKgPBjAxM_h-7Lduj8eikcDw0bDVa7EABQ2z96oAoUCdf1dHVt4j4hTPYs/s1600/easy+vegan+flapjacks+recipe+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Aaand you're done! You can choose to follow this recipe completely and end up with delicious, crumbly, sweet flapjacks or you could go crayzee and chuck in some raisins or currants or chocolate chips if you'd like. I'm not sure how they'll effect the consistency/bake because I haven't tried it (I detest dried fruit with my entire being) but if you do - let me know and I'll add your experience to this recipe (with credit of course)! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://instagram.com/whatlaurendidtoday" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Instagram</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/whatlaaurendid" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Twitter</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12340871" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Bloglovin</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/whatlaurendid/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Pinterest</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">| </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31020554-lauren" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Goodreads</span></a></span></span></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-67312700372011467792017-04-11T13:30:00.000+01:002017-09-18T20:26:00.317+01:00Loved Lately<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL69c4KpiDEj3KJB9BCZTofszi4-kcY_f1Zkj61whKK6JVifH1rd32x-KY9EpYsJBBepedOzrW9zFF7qskZ9g41DatmoKsrZ1ZACbuez51VqqxhzvBaN0HmC8gdnS9ptD_I5IObG0JkpQ/s1600/recent+favourites+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL69c4KpiDEj3KJB9BCZTofszi4-kcY_f1Zkj61whKK6JVifH1rd32x-KY9EpYsJBBepedOzrW9zFF7qskZ9g41DatmoKsrZ1ZACbuez51VqqxhzvBaN0HmC8gdnS9ptD_I5IObG0JkpQ/s1600/recent+favourites+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's been a while since I talked in some way about my current favourite things and my last Favourites post was back in January, so I have quite a few things to catch you up on!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Watching ::</strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At the beginning of March my brother showed me the </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzQ6gRAEoy0" target="_blank"><strong>Shelter by Porter Robinson & Maedon music video</strong></a> because it's actually a short anime film and we both looove anime. I went in with Matt's warning: 'If I cried then you're definitely gonna cry' and naturally he was right. I've watched it three times now and I absolutely bawled each time. It's incredibly powerful and beautiful, and now that I know the lyrics it really ties into the experience.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I talk a little in a minute about my re-love of Panic! At The Disco but </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Brendon Urie's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRPXhYQ4VD4" target="_blank"><strong>Death of a Bachelor</strong></a><strong> & </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeQafFIfLNc" target="_blank"><strong>Victorious</strong></a><strong> performances </strong>totally sealed the deal for me. He just looks so happy & he's totally feelin' himself when he sings and omg I think I fancy him a lil bit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">As for Netflix: <strong>Reign</strong>, <strong>Riverdale</strong>, <strong>Nerve</strong>, <strong>Insurgent</strong>, <strong>Cinderella</strong> and <strong>Shadowhunters</strong> have been my recent picks!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Wearing ::</span></strong> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Last Wednesday I took a little trip to Nailsea with my Dad & Luke and although I was there for the charity shops, I did end up getting this <strong>b-e-a-utiful backpack from New Look</strong>. I shared a little snap of it on social media and you guys went crazy for it too, so it seems we all have impeccable taste ;) It's been a long while since I got a new bag and I can't wait to wear this one during Spring & Summer this year. I always find carrying a handbag in the hot weather v uncomfortable so having it slung across my back lookin' pretty is going to be perfect. I wore it for the first time <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BSoKhKJlYjC/?taken-by=whatlaurendidtoday" target="_blank">on Friday</a> with my <strong>new Topshop dress</strong> (£3 from a charity shop!!) and I felt amazingggg. I've been feeling some feels about being body positive & confident whilst having a physical illness but bedecking myself in pretty things has been helping. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Another thing I've loved wearing lately are my <strong>embroidered leopard print flats</strong> from H&M. <a href="https://whatlaurendidtoday.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/the-happy-list-10.html" target="_blank">I bought them last Summer</a> for £3 in the sale and I've loved wearing them with an all-black outfit lately.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7grof2PqtzHm0iNA-WRALd4x3Vc8ohyphenhyphenO5ZuD9Ox3m33AVtKscXL1ZYGUZcgElCnYMCgo50HkDuM0BRrBhFv3s74Nc-fGJ3cTx608sa5KtTx4jhRV0P401CBV0K0MZBK6Ao8j3TgtpXTU/s1600/loved+lately+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7grof2PqtzHm0iNA-WRALd4x3Vc8ohyphenhyphenO5ZuD9Ox3m33AVtKscXL1ZYGUZcgElCnYMCgo50HkDuM0BRrBhFv3s74Nc-fGJ3cTx608sa5KtTx4jhRV0P401CBV0K0MZBK6Ao8j3TgtpXTU/s1600/loved+lately+what+lauren+did+today+cruelty+free+lifestyle+blog+uk.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"><strong>Reading ::</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I've really struggled with reading lately - mainly because I read <strong>A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas</strong> and nothing else has compared. I read it twice back-t0-back and everything I've tried to read since has me yearning for it. It's empowering, tense, romantic, sexy and utterly captivating. I'm literally counting down the days until A Court of Wings and Ruin is released (May 2nd!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Listening ::</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I've completely overhauled my iTunes library over the past few months and it's utterly unrecognisable from the ATL-only zone it used to be. I've recently discovered Bad Suns and Melanie Martinez, as well as re-discovered The 1975 and Panic! At The Disco - and added a few instrumental tracks from my favourite TV shows. The Your lie in April soundtrack is utterly beautiful, by the way. Here's a little playlist to give you an idea of all the things I'm loving rn:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> 1. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLVUbaRPpHQ" target="_blank">Take My Love and Run - Bad Suns</a></span><br />
2. <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8whRNI-G8KE" target="_blank">Outskirts of Paradise - Bad Suns</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29JYDoYpCNM" target="_blank">Rearview - Bad Suns</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4pN7rp6x8Y" target="_blank">Patience - Bad Suns</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=881g2CY6UVs" target="_blank">Violet - Bad Suns</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">6. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrKtbYWIey0" target="_blank">Uso to Honto - Your lie in April soundtrack</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">7. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8QFHrPSYTA" target="_blank">Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso - Your lie in April soundtrack</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">8. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nky4me4NP70" target="_blank">Tear in my Heart - twenty one pilots</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">9. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bimd2nZirT4" target="_blank">Somebody Else - The 1975</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">10. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5NqIsnyTG8" target="_blank">Don't Threaten Me With A Good Time - Panic! At The Disco</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">11. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5dNcKTcnPA" target="_blank">LA Devotee - Panic! At The Disco</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">12. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R03cqGg40GU" target="_blank">Death of a Bachelor - Panic! At The Disco</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">13. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5qWnG5RQTk" target="_blank">Play That Song - Train</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">14. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdwaWp59qz8" target="_blank">Sippy Cup - Melanie Martinez</a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Misc ::</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">A couple of weeks ago I went into Tiger and came out with like 5 notebooks. My favourite of the bunch is this <strong>pink A5 leather-look notebook</strong> that I've been using to jot down a few ideas and random lines of creative writing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">My final favourite is <strong>Alpro yoghurt</strong> - the strawberry & banana 'children's' yoghurt to be precise. It comes in a pack of four with two pear & peach ones which are okay but the strawb and banana ones are delicious. Enough so that I spend £1.80 per bloody box. I try my best to only buy it when it's on offer but sometimes a girl's just gotta have her kid's yoghurt, ya feel me?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://instagram.com/whatlaurendidtoday" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Instagram</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/whatlaaurendid" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Twitter</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12340871" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Bloglovin</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/whatlaurendid/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Pinterest</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">| </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31020554-lauren" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Goodreads</span></a></span></span></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-80335990605937697732017-03-15T11:00:00.000+00:002017-03-15T11:00:46.458+00:00Banana & Oat Breakfast Muffins (Vegan)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've been in the kitchen again...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Seriously tho, are you guys liking these vegan recipe posts?! I'm <em>so</em> into baking at the moment - it's doing wonders for my mental health - and it's been quite nice to be in on the foodie conversations for a change. Since my health issues started it's been a little more than difficult for me on the food front but I feel like I'm slowly healing myself, one bake at a time - even if I can't always stomach them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">The recipe for these muffins is one I created completely on my own - my very first signature bake! I concocted them a few weeks back whilst my internet was down (and still is) and I didn't have access to the multitude of recipes floating around online. I took inspiration from my <a href="http://whatlaurendidtoday.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/easy-vegan-banana-bread.html" target="_blank">banana bread</a> recipe but swapped out a few ingredients and reduced the measurements because the bananas I had to use up were smaller than those I'd use to make banana bread. I kind of winged it, to be honest, and although they kind of stuck to the cupcakes cases they turned out so well I thought I'd share them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"><strong>Ingredients (makes 9 small muffins) ::</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">♥</span> 80g self-raising flour.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">♥</span> 30g oats.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">♥</span> 50g brown sugar.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">♥</span> 1 tsp baking powder.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">♥</span> 1 tsp cinnamon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">♥</span> 40g unsweetened soy yoghurt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">♥</span> 3 small over-ripe bananas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Method ::</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>1.</strong> Preheat your oven to 180oc. Prepare a cupcake tin with 9 cupcake cases.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>2.</strong> In a bowl, mash your peeled bananas with a fork. Like with my banana bread, you can leave the banana a little lumpy because I quite like having bigger blobs of it within the mixture but it's up to you what consistency you'd prefer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>3.</strong> Add in your sugar and yoghurt and mix thoroughly until completely combined.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>4.</strong> Sieve in your dry ingredients and then pop in the oats, too. Mix until fully combined. It's going to turn into a sort of thick paste - not as runny as cake mix - and it also looks a little lumpy because of the oats. Make sure that the lumps are oats, though, and not pockets of flour!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong>5.</strong> Bake for approx 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when poked in the centre.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Aaaand you're done! I love the texture the whole oats give these muffins and they make perfect accompaniments to a glass of cold orange juice and some strawbs on a Sunday morning. They're sweet, soft and positively addictive. I dare you not to eat three in a row like I did.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://instagram.com/whatlaurendidtoday" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Instagram</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/whatlaaurendid" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Twitter</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12340871" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Bloglovin</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> | </span></span></span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/whatlaurendid/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #ff7fc8;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Pinterest</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">| </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31020554-lauren" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Goodreads</span></a></span></span></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669666292314469990.post-22314067938769976992017-03-12T11:00:00.000+00:002017-11-22T12:16:46.140+00:004 More Ways To Boost Positivity | Self Care Sunday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><em>{ Self-care Sunday, episode six }</em></strong></span><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">As I promised many moons ago, here is the second part of my <a href="http://whatlaurendidtoday.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/4-ways-to-boost-positivity-in-2017.html" target="_blank">4 Ways To Boost Positivity </a> post!</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Affirmations.</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Affirmations are simply positive quotes / phrases that you repeat to yourself over and over until they're hard-wired into your thoughts. I think it ties in with the Law of Attraction, something I haven't ever looked at too closely. I'm still struggling to find affirmations that suit me (and that don't make me feel like a pretentious, cocky so-and-so) but I find a lot of comfort in quotes and poems so I've taken to repeating them over and over in my mind when I'm struggling. I even have a little photo album on my phone filled with screenshots of other people's blog posts and Instagrams where they'll share their own thoughts / affirmations and I find that particularly helpful. Sometimes it's easier to digest and believe when it's coming from someone else. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em><strong>Somewhere to start:</strong> </em><a href="http://www.themavencircle.com/positive-affirmations-for-anxiety/" target="_blank"><em>The 30 Day Positive Affirmation Challenge.</em></a></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Utilise music.</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My mum always says she can tell when I'm depressed because I stop listening to music completely. I don't know why I do this because music is one of the quickest and easiest ways to boost my mood! I make a point to avoid sad songs and go straight for the pop and pop punk - mainly it's All Time Low (as always) and a little dash of The 1975, although I've been known to spit some verses of Nicki Minaj in my time. Alternatively, I'll stick on my instrumental playlist if I need to calm the f down. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Music is hugely personal so work out what's best for you, download it onto your phone, stick your earphones in and take a moment to listen whenever you're feeling a little frazzled. I also find that playing music in the morning whilst I'm getting ready sets the tone for my day! </span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Consider alternative therapies.</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Science and traditional medicine play an important role in most people's lives but that doesn't mean we should ignore alternative therapies. I personally find a lot of relief and comfort in crystal therapy, which is the practice of using crystals to alter different energy sources within your body. My favourites to use are rose quartz, amethyst and blue lace agate but there are so many to choose from. I go a bit more in-depth on how I use crystals to ease my anxiety <a href="https://whatlaurendidtoday.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/using-crystals-to-ease-anxiety.html" target="_blank">in this post</a> but you could always stop into your local independent crystal store - they'll be able to point you in the right direction. You could also consider aromatherapy (which I'm also a huge fan of - I found it my most enjoyable subject at college), acupuncture or yoga and meditation. I think with things like this, believing is half the battle, but isn't it nice to have something to believe in?</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Write a 'done' list.</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Whenever you're feeling a little overwhelmed or you're convinced you've never accomplished anything ever, spend five minutes with a blank page and a pen and write yourself a 'done' list. I like to do this daily and sometimes my list will consist of things like 'put on two loads of washing' and 'changed the bed' where-as other days it'll be 'spent two hours in public' or 'walked 10k steps'. When I'm feeling particularly bad, I like to write down the bigger things, like 'finished college with top grades' or 'visited dad in hospital every other day for 6 weeks'. Reminding yourself of your achievements can really help your confidence and it'll also remind you of everything you've survived thus far. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong>Take some time to do what you love.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Whether that's reading, knitting, baking, gaming, flower arranging, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia";">cycling, writing, scrapbooking, practicing make-up techniques - whatever truly makes you happy. You owe it to yourself to schedule in some time to do the things you love because no one but you else is in charge of your own happiness. <em>Remember that, Lauren.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Need more ideas? Check out my other <a href="https://whatlaurendidtoday.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/self%20care%20sunday" target="_blank">Self-Care Sunday posts</a> - there's quite the little archive now!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span><br />Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04600100155446464497noreply@blogger.com4