Currently | June

As always over here on Lemon Pea Lifestyle etc, the end of the month means a quick run down of a few things that are either new in my life or that I'm particularly loving at the moment. So here's the things that have come under those categories over the past 30 days.

Food

I'm still absolutely loving making and eating my homemade granola and it is something I plan to carry on doing but mixing it up with different flavours and additions. If you want to know how to make your own homemade granola check out my video. Other than my own food genius though, I've been enjoying the Lean Machines recipes from their new book 'The Lean Machines: Eat Well Feel Better'. So far I've made the Chilli Prawn Linguine and Vegetable Red Thai Curry both of which were delicious and so easy to make and healthy. I'm looking forward to delving further into it. 

Reading

If you read my 'currently reading' blog post last week you will know that I am reading 'Eat Pray Love' by Elizabeth Gilbert. To say I'm loving it is an understatement. I literally don't want to put it down, ever. I'm reading it on my Kindle which is great because, as much as I love a real book they can be a pain in the bum on busy, rush hour, public transport. I'd definitely recommend the book if you're looking for a bit of motivation or are just feeling a bit bleugh.

Lifestyle

I haven't got anything hugely new in the lifestyle section and this section kind of confuses me. Really all of these things would come under 'lifestyle' but I seem to mention fitness/beauty/fashion in this section normally so based on that I'm going to recommend the Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief. I don't know if it's the weather or what but my skin is SOO dry and this has helped so much. I use it every morning and most nights (but sometimes I use their overnight rescue) and you can also use it during the day by patting it over your makeup. It's great if you've got dry skin or combination skin but I wouldn't recommend it if you've got oily skin. 

Travel

This month Jack and I travelled up to the Midlands to the Royal Three Counties Show. We stayed in Tewkesbury and travelled back home via Bath so we got to see a few places in the UK that we hadn't already, which was one of our goals this year. The Three Counties Show was also a lovely day out and right up mine and Jack's street. There'll be a post up about it soon so keep your eyes peeled for that if you want to know more.

I hope you all had a good month and have another good month ahead. 

Until next time,

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Thought of the week #23

It's not always easy to be optimistic in a bad situation. It's easy to see the negative side and how something might go wrong. But it brings you down and before you know it you're in a negative, pessimistic slump and you just feel bleugh. Everyone feels better when you look at the positive of something, it's not always easy, but if you remember how much better it makes you feel it can be made a bit easier. This week, try to choose to be optimistic about things and see how much better you feel for it.

Until next time,

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#CurrentlyReading

It's been a while since I've posted anything reading related and I'm not really sure why. It's not that I haven't been reading although I have probably been reading slower and not as consistently, so that's probably why. 

Anyway, I thought I'd share with you what book I've just put down and what one I've just picked up. For the first time in a while I've found myself reading two non-fiction books back to back. As I'm getting older I definitely find that I'm enjoying reading non-fiction far more than I used to. I think part of that is finding non-fiction books that you enjoy about things that you're interested in. Not every non-fiction read has to be about learning and educating yourself in can just be a bit of fun. 

Back when it was still raining every day, and no not last week, I mean the end of April, I picked up 'Scarlett Says' by Scarlett Moffatt of Gogglebox fame. Gogglebox is one of my favourite TV shows and as well as being bloody hilarious I think Scarlett regularly makes good points so I decided to check out her book for more witty comments and good humour.

I wasn't dissapointed. The book was a refreshing, light hearted take on life and the world. It was filled with Scarlett's trade mark humour, love for fake tan and big hair. But more than that it was witty, to the point and truthful. It wasn't an auto-biography, all though you do learn a lot more about the lovely young lady who spends an hour every Friday sat forward in her chair watching telly with her mum and dad, it was a good hard look at the world from Scarlett's point of view - a view I think many, particularly younger people, would agree with most of the time.

It's not going to be for everyone. It's very chatty and impersonal, set out in chapters that relate to going on a night on the town with Scarlett. The writing style and the blocky divided style of the subjects would annoy some readers but I found it to be great if I just wanted to read a little bit here and there. If you enjoy watching Scarlett on Gogglebox I'd definitely pick it up, if you don't I'd still recommend it if you want a light non-fiction read that's easy to get through and good fun. 

After putting down 'Scarlett Says' I was ready for some more non-fiction. I was flicking through my Bloglovin page and saw a post from World of Wanderlust about her WOW Book Club. It was something I'd seen on my feed before but hadn't taken much notice of. However, I was looking for something new to read so decided to have a look and what was going on over there. 

For June the book club was going to be reading 'Eat, Pray, Love Made Me Do It'. I hadn't even read 'Eat Pray Love' let alone think about the sequel. So that was it I was finally going to get around to reading the book that seems to be a bit like a bible to anyone who writes a travel blog, loves travelling or wants to travel more. 

NO REGRETS. I'm a third of the way through and loving it. I can see why people recommend this book left, right and centre. If you want to travel but aren't sure, have travelled and have stories or memories or just want a bit of a kick up the bum to do something, you should read this book.

The only downside is it's giving me such wanderlust!

Until next time,

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Thought of the week #22

We're always getting stuck in the mundane of our everyday lives. Get up, breakfast, work, lunch, work, home, dinner, bed. Life is so much more than that and finding that bit of extra in everyday an make everyday much more fun and enjoyable. It can be anything, turning the telly off for a change and going for a walk, enjoying eating dinner outside, smiling to a couple of strangers on the way to work. Find that bit of magic and enjoy everyday. 

Homemade Granola

So I've decided to branch out into YouTube for things like recipes and DIY projects of which I have lots planned. I hope you like this format, be sure to let me know what you think. But don't worry, not everything is going over there and once I get more used to the idea of filming and editing we'll be back to three written blog posts a week and a video. But for now I'm still getting used to the scheduling of it all and getting everything done. 

Well onto the actual video. 

Just a little one for a recipe of mine you might remember from Mays 'currently' post. It's really easy and simple and super healthy. Not to mention delicious. I like to whip this up on a Sunday evening and that's breakfast sorted for the week ahead.

I like it with coconut milk or Greek yoghurt  and fruit. However, it's also really good mixed with yoghurt or milk and left over night to make bircher muesli which can be topped with some lovely fresh or frozen fruit. 

Delicious.

P.S. Please subscribe to my channel on YouTube so you don't miss any videos 

Until next time,

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Thought of the Week #21

Kindness doesn't cost a penny - everyone's mum has told them that. But it's true. It costs you nothing to be kind. Sometimes you've had a shitty day and you can't be bothered to anything more than you have to. But letting someone go before you to get on the bus, or wishing the checkout girl at Tescos a good evening, or making a round of tea when you get in. Whatever it is it could be the thing that makes some else's day and puts a smile on their face when they were having an otherwise awful day. That should be enough to make it worth going that little bit further to be kind and loving and thoughtful. Throw your kindness around like confetti and good things will come your way.

Currently | May 2016

This post is a little late this month as I decided to take a little blogging break at the end of May. I decided I still wanted to post it thought because monthly favourites are some of my favourite blog posts to read and it seems that you guys like my version too so here it is a little later than planned. 

Food

I love granola for breakfast. It's so versatile, on top of yogurt, with milk, used for bircher muesli or as a sprinkle on a smoothie bowl. Any way it's great. However, a lot of shop bought muesli has a lot of added sugar you don't always realise is there. And often there's things in it (dried banana) that I'm just not  fan of. So I decided I'd make my own. That way I knew exactly what was going into it and there wouldn't be something in it I didn't like. If you want to know the recipe for my granola, keep  your eyes open on Sunday. 

Reading

Without any eye rolling please, I've been reading 'Scarlett Says' by Scarlett Moffatt of Gogglebox fame. I don't care what anyone says I love Gogglebox and I think Scarlett is hilarious. Despite what a lot of people seem to think about her she has great ideas and is really intelligent and the book proved that. I loved it, it was a great mixture of funny stories, intelligent thought provoking thoughts and generally it was just a good entertaining, light read, perfect for summer and poolside reading. 

Lifestyle

I very rarely re-purchase beauty products because I like to try new stuff depending on new releases and also what I've read about on my favourite blogs. However, when my Body Shop Baked Brozer hit pan I nearly cried. I love it. It's a beautiful natural bronzer that is perfect for people that are slightly on the Casper the friendly ghost side of the complexion spectrum. It adds a subtle golden glow without making you look like you've had an oops moment with packet of Wotsits. 

Also I've been loving New Look's fitness range. I've picked up a few bits for my minimal exercise habits but it's great for me. I don't do a heap of exercise at the moment so I didn't want to splurge on workout gear so the New Look range is great. It's a good price for decent quality. You can't really lose. 

Travel

If you read my Hello June post, you will know that Jack and I travelled down to Bridport, more specifically Eype, in Dorset over the last bank holiday weekend. We took Jack's dogs down for the as his mum and dad were staying down there for the whole weekend. It was a lovely spot and I'd highly recommend heading down there to have an explore over the summer. It's a lovely seaside spot, with a quaint villagey feel and fantastic beaches (that you might recognise from Broadchurch). We're definitely thinking about going back there soon. 

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Hello June

The summer months are finally upon us and doesn't it feel good? It feels like ages since I wrote a 'Hello' monthly post but it's only been just over a month. It's also mad to think that at the end of this month we will officially be half way through the year and only another six months from the big C. 

But that's enough of that. For now I'm loving the sunny weather even if it does mean sticky sun cream skin and the constant threat of wasps. 

May was a good month. Any month with two bank holiday is always going to be a good one I suppose. I had loads going on in May but it didn't ever feel like I was rushed off my feet with no time to breathe. 

I passed my theory test in May and bought my first car. Both scary and exciting. It's good to get things like that out of the way as soon as possible I think. It's a great sense of achievement and it's one less thing to worry about that. The car situation however, couldn't have gone worse but that's another story not fit for a cheery Hello post. 

I did lots of fun, relaxing summery things though which made May really feel like the beginning of a great summer. It was my mum's birthday at the end of the month and we spend the day, shopping, lunching and enjoying remembering what fruit to put in Pimms. Jack and I also took a road trip down to Bridport with his dogs on probably the most gorgeous day of summer. It's a lovely spot on the Dorset coast that is well worth exploring. 

We also finally made some headway with the Australia photos. We've yet to print any but we have started sorting through them and deciding which ones we do want to print.

The month ahead is also set to be a good one. Jack and I have a mini break to Malvern in Worcestershire for the Three Counties show at the end of the month and we're also hoping to make some summer holiday plans. 

Personally I plan to continue finding the fitness regime that works best for me and the fitness  I enjoy. I also want to actually get some Aus photos printed but we'll see because I've been saying that for six months now.

I hope you all had a lovely May and enjoy June.

Until next time,

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Thought of the Week #20

Every now and again it's ok to get the feeling that you cannot do something, whatever it is and no matter how hard you try. You can't possibly face your boss AGAIN this Monday morning, you can't possibly sit through another Maths lesson because you just can't do it, you can't get through the to-do list becuase it's just too overwhelming. Every now and again it feels like it's spiraling out of control a bit and you just can't do it anymore. You can though, and you will. You just need to remind yourself that you've done it before and you got though it and felt better for it. Remember the feeling after putting your all into something and feeling great for getting it done, and feeling like you got this. Whatever it is remember that and you can do it.

Until next time,

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