So it still so happens that I'm quite behind the times and I still have an iPhone 4.

However, it still does the job which is most important.
I only have 2 pages on my phone. Obviously I have apps like Facebook and Twitter and Instagram, to keep updated with what's going on with family, friends and other blogs. Also who can resist a bit of Snapchat now and again?

The first page is pretty much full of your standard Apple apps but a lot of them have been put under one category, purely because I don't use them enough. I know you're probably wondering where the music is and it's there but I use my iPod because it has four times the amount of storage. 

The second page is pretty much miscellaneous, including Bloglovin' and Pinterest, what my lunch break is made up of!

I also recently downloaded 2 photo prints apple, one of which gives you 500 free prints a year and you just pay postage which is pretty cheap compared to some photo websites. The other is called Polabox, where you can print photos as polaroids at 35p a photo or you can also get photo strips, at £6.45 for 5 strips of 5 photos.

I also have static to keep track of followers on various social media platforms. Plus Timehop because I like seeing how far I've come in a year. And lastly C25K, so I can get off my ass and workout!

That's what's on my phone, what's on yours?


Bloglovin' | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Christmas

Isn’t Christmas just great? How could you even not like Christmas?

The build up to Christmas has already started in my family’s house, the Christmas tree is up, most of the presents have been bought and we’ve planned out the events for Christmas. Unfortunately I only have Christmas Eve and Christmas day off but that’s definitely enough for me.

I’m not too fussed by boxing day to be honest, it can sometimes make Christmas drag on a bit too long so for me Christmas eve is fun because a lot of the cooking gets done and obviously Christmas day is pretty great and needs no explanation!

I thought I’d share some current and some old pictures of my Christmases with you!

The first year we got Douglas, doesn't he look adorable in his christmas jumper?

dog has no idea what's going on...

just LOL

What I Love About The Current Season

The Weather

I’m probably the only person in England that sort of enjoys the weather at this time of year. Obviously not the torrential rain, that’s just too much but the cold mornings, getting dark early and even the light showers of rain. I’m a strange one, I know!

Comforting, Warming Food

You may, or may not, have noticed that the last couple of recipes that I’ve written are “comforting and warming”. This fits perfectly in with what I love about the season, they aren’t quite my dad’s stews or my mum’s crumbles, but they’re the best that I can do and they are just what I love to eat this season.

Spending Time With Loved Ones

Cringe! But these nights in with these people are just what I love to do and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Sundays

I’m not working too many of the following Sundays and it feels like they finally have meaning again! Having a lazy Sunday, wander around town or around Richmond Park are just a few ways to have the perfect Sunday. Topped off with a roast dinner of course!

TV

Oh my, the TV at this time of year is when it’s at its finest! X Factor, all the reality tv shows are back, I can’t get enough of them!

K…is for Kingston upon Thames

This is one hell of a beautiful place and somewhere that I get the pleasure of calling home!

I originally come from Salisbury and they are very similar except that in Kingston the shops are way better.

It’s in the name but Kingston sits on the river Thames and in the summer there is nowhere else I would rather be than in one of the pubs overlooking the river drinking a cold cider!

I’ve been through a lot in this place and sure it would probably be much easier to run away and start again but what kind of a person would that make me?

I’m not leaving anytime soon no matter what anyone says!

My life and my friends are in Kingston now and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

I’m really looking forward to what I can achieve while I live here!

Plus as a bonus, I’m only half an hour away from London on the train which is great for when I want a day out there!

Chilli con carne

I recently found a few new ingredients that I wanted to try out so I made this for my housemates on Sunday night and they can’t stop telling me how much they love it. If they keep telling me how much they love my food I might want to live with them forever!

Ingredients:

450g beef mince

1 tin of kidney beans

1 tin of Heinz vegetable chilli beans

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1 chopped pepper

1 chopped onion

Chilli flakes

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Method:

Start by putting some olive oil in a saucepan then adding the onion. Cook for 3 minutes then add the pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the beef mince and brown off, cooking for roughly 10 minutes. Adding salt and pepper whilst it is cooking.

Add all of the beans and the chopped tomatoes and a teaspoon of chilli flakes and cook for another 5 minutes.

Leave the chilli con carne to simmer for 15 minutes.

I served mine with rice and an Old el Paso Stand N’ Stuff Soft Taco Kit and some salsa. It was so much better than any chilli I had had before and maybe that’s why my housemates loved it so much. Next I’ll be trying burritos!

London Eye September 2014

On Sunday I went on a tourist day into central London with Sarah. We hopped on the train to Waterloo and walked down to South Bank to get on the London Eye. First of all you get some photos taken in front of a green screen and they come out as if you are sitting on the London Eye. Pretty awesome! Then you see a 4D show which is a prelude to going on it and it lasted roughly 5 minutes. I thought it was great! You get to see what it is like during the day and night and you see it all from a bird’s point of view, I guess the point of going round the London Eye! Sarah really hates Ferris Wheels so she was quite nervous but wanted to conquer her fear, but this scared her!

We checked out our photos after then headed to get on the London Eye. We had fast track tickets straight away.

The pods are quite big and you can walk all around the edge and there is a bench in the middle. It took just under half an hour to go all the way around, it goes a lot quicker than you would think but you don’t feel it at all.

The views were great, you got to see up and down the Thames and see Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. I was slightly disappointed, I thought you would have been able to see a lot more and more London landmarks, but the view of Big Ben is one I will never forget.

It was a truly great experience and I’m so glad that I was able to tick it off my bucket list.

Sarah also did it! I’m not sure if she loved it as much as I did but we’re both proud of her for actually doing it!

I definitely want to go on it again during the evening; I can imagine it being so pretty all lit up!