I spent a few days looking for easy baking recipes to do, that also taste great and I found some amazing ones on the ‘Stork’ website.

Their recipes are cute and easy to make which is great for an afternoon with your children or just for a bit of baking fun!

Easter Cupcake Nests

These cute cupcakes with an Easter twist are so tasty and I was quite proud of these to be honest!

I started off by making a basic vanilla cupcake recipe. This was a basic mix of the following;

• 4 oz Stork
• 4 oz Caster Sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 4 oz self-raising flour, sieved together with ½ teaspoon baking powder

For the Chocolate Nest;

• 40g Stork
• 3 tablespoons golden syrup
• 6 tablespoons drinking chocolate powder
• 18 tbsp of corn flakes
• Asda Micro Mini Eggs (3 eggs on each cupcake. These are so little which made them look really cute!

I was really happy with the outcome of my cakes. Not a lot can go wrong with this simple recipe. Although if I was to do it again, I would suggest finding a less rich chocolate powder or putting less in the chocolate mix as this was quite dark and rich.

The family didn’t complain however!

I will leave the link below for the Stork website so that you can get baking this Easter – http://www.bakewithstork.com

Rice Krispie Nests

Next I went on to these beauties! My boyfriend isn’t keen on cake (crazy I know), so I decided to make a batch of these so that he had a little Easter treat.

To start I made the nest with the following ingredients;

• 20 tbsp of Rice Krispies
• One bar (milk) chocolate – 200g
• 3 tbsp of golden syrup
• 40g Stork

Then all I did was add some micro mini eggs to the top and left to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

The Easter Bunny

So I wanted to get my family some little treats for Easter and there were so many ideas that I had, but these were so simple and are homemade which added that little special touch.

For these I used the following;

• Aldi Mini Eggs – 1 pack
• Aldi Chocolate Bunny
• Ribbon – I bought one with a little pastel fence design but this is entirely up to you!
• Clear Cellophane
• Asda Glitter Carrots

First I cut my cellophane to size, this really depends on the bunny.

Then, I put the bunny in the middle and surrounded it with mini eggs.

Next, I gathered the cellophane, tied it with the ribbon and stuck a little carrot in the gathering for decoration!

It’s literally that simple.

Easter Egg Shortbread

Finally, I made some easter inspired shortbread biscuits. These were something I found on Pinterest and I love a shortbread so I thought that these would be great to make.

All I used for these was;

• 6oz Plain Flour
• 4oz Caster Sugar
• 2oz Stork

For Decorating;

• Icing Sugar – As needed
• Water
• Sprinkles
• Writing Icing Pens
• Edible Decorations
• More mini eggs of course!

I wish I could say that these were decorated by kids but icing isn’t my strong point and the boyfriend wanted to join in! So this is the final result…

Hope you enjoyed reading! As usual let me know what crafts and baking you’ve been up to!

Have a great Easter everyone!

P x

Kev G x Timfy James – Nothing

Recorded, mixed, mastered and produced by Timfy James at Old School Studios.

http://www.facebook.com/kevgmk

http://www.oldschoolmk.com

Bookings@oldschoolstudios.co

Filmed and edited by Timfy James

We are officially into the new year now and hopefully everyone is happy and well.

Just a disclaimer to you all before you continue reading, this isn’t me telling anyone what to do or who to be, this is just me speaking about my opinions and if you don’t agree then that’s Okay!

At this time of year, I’ve been seeing more and more posts about serious health kicks and dieting. I’m all about being healthy and I hugely praise those who want to get to their perfect image or just be generally well in their health. But what is perfect?

This is a serious question that I have for anyone reading, because for me this image of an ideal, perfect body etc. can be extremely dangerous.

This time last year, I did exactly the same as what others are doing. I was flicking through my social media and seeing all these images of toned, tanned bodies. It was sickening to feel so inferior to this perfect image. I needed to do something about this so that I felt body confident and mentally happy about my appearance.

I started focusing on my health and weight back in January 2017. I tried dieting before but had always fallen off the wagon and then followed a downward spiral!

This time was different. I looked in the mirror and literally hated what I saw… I have never had the confidence to wear what I want or do what I want because I was so body conscious. I was so determined to really try to be what I thought I wanted.

At the beginning of my journey, I weighed 10 stone 12. My diet consisted of a fairly healthy diet regularly, but I never held back when it came to junk food and sweets! My first change in my diet was to completely cut out all gluten products. I had always suffered from bad bloating and I started to worry that perhaps gluten was the cause. This wasn’t the case after all, but I cut this out for 3 months and felt less bloated due to the reduced amount of bread and other wheat products.

By March I was at 9 stone 10. Across the 3 months, I was exercising daily for 15 mins to half an hour each time and this was following Charlotte Crosby’s Fitness DVD’s.
My fitness levels were increasing and I felt happier with my weight and happier with my health, but I still wasn’t 100%. So I continued on.

My family and boyfriend at this point were getting worried. They could see that an obsession had started with the weight loss and working out. In my mind, I thought, there are worse things to be addicted to! So I decided to carry on and by May I weighed just under 9 stone. I had stopped cutting out gluten and had resorted to eating the bare minimum, ensuring I was reading all the ingredients included in foods and counting calories. I couldn’t stop.

In June I had toe surgery, which left me with a month out of any exercise! I was scared to eat because I knew I couldn’t burn it off. I was worried 24/7 and I was worrying everyone around me. I knew it wasn’t right.

Although I felt healthy and fit, I wasn’t eating, I would go a whole day without food through the fear of gaining what I had lost. I couldn’t go out for meals or eat at social events. I had to be watched when I ate or prompted to eat. It didn’t stop. In July I got to 8 stone 11. The happiness I felt was amazing! I felt so good but it didn’t last long, the stress of trying to keep the weight off continued to bear a strain on my life.

Now I’m 8 stone. And have been diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa.

My focus for 2018 is to get healthy the right way and seek the help that I need.

The effects of social media have made things immensely difficult for me because I still don’t see myself in that perfect image. The constant portrayal of diet pills and airbrushed photos has become a nightmare for me. I know I can’t blame it all on social media but it is a huge factor which has resulted in all of the above.

My family is becoming increasingly concerned and it’s becoming an illness that I’m struggling to cope with. In my head, I feel fine and I can’t see the harm but I see the faces of my family and I see how I worry them.

I would have liked to end this post on a happy note and say that it’s all sorted. Unfortunately, I’m still struggling. From personal experience, please don’t do what I did. Don’t resort to the diet pills. Don’t follow fad diet regimes. Be healthy, be fit, be happy, but do it the right way.

For anyone else going through the same or similar, please don’t hesitate to leave comments or email me. I find support can be very helpful. I know that talking won’t necessarily change how you feel but at least we know that we aren’t alone.

Please seek help before it goes too far.

P x

I have included a link below for a helpline that supports those with eating disorders:

https://www.b-eat.co.uk

One of the ideas I had was to create some festive, handmade Christmas cards. With the option of also being a money wallet. These are really easy to make and can be done in an affordable and time efficient way. Crafts are a way for me to keep myself busy and channel my inner creative side.

In order to make these cards you will need:

• Card/Pre-cut cards with envelopes (optional)

• Buttons (assorted)

• Craft glue (clear) – I also used Glue dots which are simple and less messy.
• Prit Stick

• Scissors
• Christmas decorations/embellishments
• Mini Pegs
• Assorted Ribbon

My crafts that I bought are from a few different shops. I found that places like ‘The Range’, ‘Hobbycraft’ and ‘Poundland’ were great and not too pricey. It’s such a shame when you have this creative idea in your head and then you realise that its going to be so expensive!

To get ideas for my cards, I did some searching on Pinterest. As I was just starting out, I had a few ideas but needed a nudge in the right direction. So to start off, I made a set of money wallets for my Dad to give to my family members.

To begin, you will need some pre-made card and envelopes. These can be plain or colourful depending on what you are going for. Onto these, I added a sticker onto the back from ‘The Range’ which says ‘This card was made by…’ and I then wrote my name in a gold gel pen.

Once I did this, I added a bit of ribbon to the front of them as a kind of border to work my main idea around. You may need to wait for this to dry before adding the other bits, depending on the type of glue you used. I used a prit stick and this worked just fine for me.

After this, I used a variety of green, red and white buttons to make my main designs. You can see a few of these at the end of my post.

You can use whatever decorations you like on your card to make it that little bit more special or personal to the receiver. For example, I used different colour ribbons, different stickers and designs to make it suitable for each family member; both children and adults.

To make them money wallets rather than just plain cards, I added a mini peg and a short piece of ribbon to the inside. You can glue the ribbon or staple it to any edge of the card and then just simply clip the peg onto the ribbon. This is an easy, hassle free way to keep your money still when it’s in its envelope. There isn’t really a how to with this type of craft, it’s really more about using your imagination and getting creative.

Pinterest is such a good way of looking for ideas and making them reality and I found that I even came up with so many of my own ideas.

Again, I apologise for the lack of posting and hope to be more regular in the New Year.

Would love to see what everyone else has been getting up to this Christmas! So send me some of your crafty pictures and ideas…

To my boyfriends despair, my Christmas obsession showed its face when it started getting darker earlier on! So he has already been trawled through the Christmas aisles and been made to go Christmas shopping. Bless him.

I always like to get things done early. That way I know that I am organised and have time to get any last-minute bits if need be, but also it goes hand in hand with the Black Friday sales.

When I am present planning, I look at the following;

• Who
• What
• Price
• Total budget

By working out the above, I can estimate how much I can afford and ensure that I don’t overspend on unnecessary items. I need money for my Christmas decorations too, don’t forget!

I only really ever buy for family and close friends at Christmas, otherwise you find that you spend so much money and time. Family and close friends tend to be easier to buy for and they appreciate things just that little bit more.

Writing a list is key. By having a list of people you are buying for and what you are getting for them will not only save you time, but will also save you making impulse purchases.

For example:

• Name: Dad Item: Jumper Price: £25.00 Shop: House of Fraser
• Name: Mum Item: Handbag Price: £30.00 Shop: New Look

The more information you can gather before shopping , the better it will be for you and for your bank balance. You can even think of the size, colour or style and add this to your plan.

This year, I wanted to keep it cheap and cheerful. I set £150.00 aside for myself in October and the same again in November. So I had £300.00 to play with before I get paid again in December. This is a great way of keeping up on your other expenditures and ensuring that you have enough to buy presents.

My choice of shopping antics this year have been both online and in store. I always find that sometimes it is so hard to get a real feel for the item if you purchase it online. So its nice to see things in the flesh prior, if you have the time to do this.

It isn’t always necessary to shop in store. At this time of year, it is extremely busy and I find that I do spend more money when I am out and about. Yes, even with my present and budget planners, I can go off track slightly! I love a Starbucks Eggnog latte (or 2…) to get me in the shopping mood.
To give you a head start, I have added a copy of my present planner to my printable page. This is just a simple table to get you started. Feel free to add what you need to make it personal to you!

Let me know how you guys get on with your Christmas shopping! I would love to hear about it all.

Stay tuned for more Christmas posts!

P x

I love homeware. Candles, throws, ornaments, you name it and I will buy it. As it is my first house, I decided I wanted to make it more suited to me and it’s great because I can finally choose the colour schemes and style.

The chosen colours I have gone for this Autumn and the general theme throughout my house is copper! You can find so many cute accessories in this colour and I feel that it brings a warmth into the house, keeping it warm and cosy!

First of all I have my Moroccan Copper lights. These are battery operated and such a cute little design of a lantern! These were given to me as part of one of my birthday presents (so I don’t know the price) and are sold in Asda’s homeware section.

Next I have my squash and pumpkin selection, which I have strategically placed around my house to tie in with the Halloween and Autumn themes. I had trouble finding these initially, they sell out quite quickly! To begin with I checked my regular supermarkets but found that they were either limited to a basic butternut squash or a normal pumpkin.

The ones I bought are from Waitrose. Usually this isn’t my choice of shop but I was desperate to find these to create the vibe I wanted in my house. They sold at £1 each; I bought 12! Which is slightly more than I wanted to pay, but they do the trick and they look so cute as a centrepiece or just as an ornament for the Autumn period.

I would say that the only downside to these is that they have an expiry date which doesn’t last too long, but the artificial ones just didn’t have the same effect.

Over the rest of the month, my plan is to make some homemade Autumn Potpourri. I will post this on my blog to show you how it went…no promises on it being amazing!

I don’t know if it’s the warm colours or just the fact that I can put away the summer clothes and get out the boots and scarves, but I feel that everything is so much more cosy!

Not to mention the Autumn fashion is back, the Pumpkin Spice Lattes have arrived at Starbucks again and my creative skills get put to the test when pumpkin decorating!

And for all you Christmas lovers, it’s a sign we are just that bit nearer to Christmas…

So far this autumn, I am getting ready to put out my autumn decor, including my pumpkins, copper fairy lights and home-crafted centrepieces. Being a lover of home accessories and crafts, this is the beginning of things to come for the rest of the year! Soon I’ll be posting some of this on my blog for you guys to see and perhaps even use for yourself!

The shops have already made the transition from summer to Autumn/winter clothing, which for any of you that know me, is my favourite! The knitwear is back, warm colours, bobble hats and scarfs are appearing, and sales are on! How many jumpers are too many jumpers!?

As a coffee drinker, my favourite from Starbucks or Costa is their Autumn or Christmas range. Cinnamon lattes, pumpkin lattes, cream and chocolate sprinkles = heaven. I think it’s the warmth you get and the smells and taste kind of trigger memories or specific times of the year. You are probably thinking “get a grip it’s only coffee”, but for me it really does have that kind of effect. What about you?

Over the next two weeks, I’ll be posting home decorations, recipes, fashion and new buys – all Autumn related, so keep an eye out for this.

If you are similar to me and are a lover of autumn, share your ideas, I would love to see what everyone gets up to this time of year!

https://youtu.be/9xeIVe1t-G4

Lyrics written by Kev G

Music, recording, mixing and mastering by Timfy James at Oldschoolstudios

http://www.oldsschoolstudios.co

http://www.facebook.com/kevgmk

http://www.facebook.com/timfyjameshacktivist

http://www.facebook.com/oldschoolstudios

I recently moved into my own house with my boyfriend, we have been together for over 2 years now and thought it was time to fly the nest. We both work full-time and never really have time to do what we enjoy. That’s when I thought about blogging. I have always  found blogs really interesting and relatable. They are a good read and I find myself getting hooked to them!

Tonnes of people blog or vlog now and I have always told myself that I couldn’t do it, because I wasn’t famous or blessed with lots of money. Then I realised that they all had to start somewhere and work their way up.  You have to be determined and want to work for it.

No one knows how many views or subscriptions they will get at the start or how interested readers will be. You just have to go for it and if it flops, then you get back at it and try again. Practice makes perfect!

Am I a pro? Certainly not yet but my goal is to strive for what I want and so should anyone who wants to get themselves known, or voice their opinions. Not everyone is going to like what you write or how you write it, but it is guaranteed that there will be an audience for you.

Social media is key. It is a way of getting connected with others who may have similar interests, goals and objectives. As well as this, you can create your own audience of people who will get your work out there and you can do the same back to help others.

Find your style, find your topic, find your creative side. Nothing is stopping you from doing what you want to do!

P x