Sunday Sessions

This weekend has been an exciting one. Although we haven't actually done much, there's been lots of planning and chatting about our upcoming move. It's still a year away, but it's been such a long time coming that we can't help but start looking forward to it already. I'm really looking forward to living so close to my friends again and having people pop round for cups of tea or a Chinese and a chat, as it's something I've really missed. It's funny how you get used to spending time alone though, and only in recent months have I actually come to enjoy it, having realised that it's the perfect opportunity for a bit of me-time, blogging and pampering.

Last night, I decided it was my hair's turn for a bit of TLC. As you might be able to see in the photo above, my ends have been looking a bit dry, but that's nothing unusual for me. I am constantly in search of something to soften them up and give me silky, soft hair, but I think years of colouring and dying it have taken their toll, and it's going to be a case of looking after it and waiting for it to grow out. However, recently I have been experiencing some oiliness in my roots and fringe area, so I decided to try a mask that would both moisturise my locks and treat the oiliness, so I went for this DIY recipe:

50g plain organic yoghurt

1 egg

1tbsp manuka honey

1tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

I basically beat the egg and then mix in the other ingredients, before applying it to damp hair and wrapping it in a towel to keep the warmth in, as I find this generally makes any hair mask more effective. You can leave it on for anything from 30mins to an hour or two, and I went for the latter to maximise the results.

I must say, I wasn't overly thrilled at the prospect of putting raw egg in my hair, and have put off trying this for a while. It didn't smell all that enjoyable, but it did leave my hair feeling softer. However, as is often the case, I don't really feel that it has made a huge amount of difference to the condition of my hair. It seems as though anything I apply to my locks is somehow unable to penetrate the hair shaft - many of you have implored me to try coconut oil, but I can tell you that I have done so on several occasions and it just hasn't worked for me.

Oh well, I will keep trying and endeavour to find something that works for me -I will let you know when I do. Next up, I am going to get myself some Moroccan Oil and see how that goes.

Last night, I baked some banana bread, and it was so delicious that it was all gone by the end of the evening! I wasn't acting alone though -the hubby gobbled up more than his fair share! It's just so perfect with a cup of tea. If you would like to try my recipe then you can find it here.

I'm just off to join in the #bbloggers chat on Twitter now, and then after that it's going to be some nail painting and organising myself for the week. I'm hoping there'll be enough time left for a nice chill out before Monday lands again tomorrow!

Hope you've all had a wonderful weekend.

xx

Baking: Banana Bread

source

At the weekend, I finally got round to doing some baking, so I thought I'd share this simple recipe for Banana Bread with you. It's a great way to use up any left over or over-ripe bananas that you might have hanging around your kitchen, is super fast and easy, and it is literally the perfect partner for a nice cup of tea.

For those of you who are not familiar with banana bread, in spite of the name, it's really more of a cake.

The recipe I used was not one which uses traditional British measures, quite simply because I didn't have any scales or a measuring jug to hand, so I just measured out my ingredients using a tea mug. Usually, you would use a smaller cup, but I wanted to make a slightly bigger cake, and I've always had great success making 'guesstimate' cakes before!

Ingredients:

4 small ripe bananas

1/3 cup of unsalted butter (I used margarine)

3/4 cup of demerara sugar

1 1/2 cups of self raising flour

1 egg, beaten

Method:

1. Pop your butter into a pan to melt, and while you're waiting, peel and mash the bananas using a fork.

2. Pour the melted butter and bananas into a large mixing bowl and combine until smooth.

3. Stir in your beaten egg and your sugar.

4. Make a well in the middle of the mixture, sift in the flour and then fold it in using a metal spoon. Remember, you want to put air into the mixture, so don't stir it around and around - this will have the opposite effect.

5. Grease the baking tray with a little margerine or butter, pour in your mixture and pop it in the oven for 15-20mins at 180.

6. Remove from the oven, cut into slices and settle down on the sofa with a large chunk and a big cup of tea.        Enjoy!

Not the best photos as I took them on my phone in artificial light, but hopefully you can get the idea of how scrummy this was anyway!

This was a bit of a different post from me, so I hope you enjoyed it. Let's face it, we all love cake, so I'm assuming it'll be most people's cup of tea.....oh dear, do excuse the pun!

Have you done any baking recently? What did you make?

xx

Week in Pictures

Custard Apple - Outfit - Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies - New necklace - My dog wearing a hoodie - Nails - Baking Banana Bread - Stirfry for dinner last night - Being an organised blogger

I've had a pretty good this week. Of course, I have mostly been at work, but I have been going running in the park every morning, and am actually really enjoying it. I am finding that it really makes a difference if I just get up and go straight away, as I seem to be much more motivated to do it. Until now, I have always left exercise to the afternoons, and more often than not, after lunch I can't be bothered! I'm definitely going to stick to the new routine, as getting it out of the way first thing means I am free to relax for the rest of the day at the weekends.

I FINALLY got round to doing some baking. After putting it on my 'To Do' list two months in a row and failing to get around to it, I didn't bother planning to do it in August, and typically, this is the time I actually do it! We had a few bananas that needed using up, so I decided to bake some banana bread, and it was delicious - the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea. My hubby had never tried it before, and he loved it, so I am inspired to get back into baking more regularly now - maybe a couple of times per month, as I don't want to go overboard!

On Thursday, we felt like treating ourselves, as I had had a busy day at work and it's one off the only two evenings we get to spend together each week, so we popped to Subway after I finished work for some Subs and some Raspberry Cheesecake cookies - the best flavour ever created, in my opinion. Yum. After that, we just chilled out at home and watched some films. I honestly cannot understand why 'Winter's Bones' was nominated for so many Oscars - it was rubbish!

Today is going to consist of yet more chilling - maybe some sunbathing in the garden, a nice lunch and coffee out and, of course, some blogging.

Hope you've all enjoyed your weekend.

xx

Weekend Wishlist

London Pop-up book, £5, Topshop/ Printed Headband, £10, River Island/ Caudalie Divine Oil, £25 (100ml), Caudalie/ Nars American Dream Palette, $55, Nars/ Tiger Beret, £10, Topshop/ Studded Bralet, £26, Miss Selfridge/ Cake Cases, £1.99 for 54, Hobby Craft/ Tribal Shorts, £32, Miss Selfridge/ Ram Head Studs, £5, Topshop/ Origins Spot Remover Blemish  Treatment Pads, £24, Boots/ Leopard Skater Skirt, £18, River Island/ Chain Peplum Top, £39, Rare at Topshop

Hi lovelies, hope you've all been having a great weekend so far and making the most of the sunshine. Apparently, it's going to last throughout the remainder of August, so hopefully that means finally getting some wear out of all the gorgeous Summer pieces we have been stockpiling since Easter!

I must admit, for once in my life, I felt a little bit uninspired by the 'New in' sections this week. I'm not sure whether it's because all my favourite clothing and accessories stores are a bit 'in limbo' at the moment, with a mixture of Summer's leftovers and new Autumn/Winter bits, but I think that must be it. Understandably, after the lack of sunny weather so far this year, I'm not really ready to start thinking about my Winter wardrobe yet. However, aside from clothes, there are certainly a few other random bits I'd be more than happy to get my mitts on, whatever the weather.

Origins Spot Remover Blemish Pads are not something I would have needed to consider purchasing until recently. Even as a teenager, I had perpetually good skin, and luckily for me, outbreaks have always been rare. However, more recently, my skin has been starting to play up a bit. I think this is probably down to my recent experimentation with skincare, and I now need to let my skin settle down into a routine, but while I am doing that I would very much like to try out these pads. Origins always come up trumps with their skincare, and I have heard good things about these, such as that they are gentle and do not strip the skin as many blemish-fighting products can do. They are, however, a bit on the pricey side at £24.

I've also got my eye on the Caudalie Divine Beauty Oil, which may sound odd given that I was just talking about my forehead being a bit oily, but I have again heard fantastic things about this and am keen to give it a try. It's a multi-use oil, so it can be used on the body and hair, as well as the face.

I'm still feeling a bit patriotic after the Queen's Jubilee and the Olympic Games, so I fell in love with the idea of the pop-up London book from Topshop. Granted, I am not a tourist, but I really like the idea of having a pop-up London landscape at my fingertips. Plus, I love books and like to collect quirky and unique ones from time to time.

I have been promising myself I'd find the time to bake for ages now, and I finally did  last night, when I made some scrummy banana bread. The hubby was more than impressed, and it has inspired me to get back into baking on a more regular basis (not TOO regular though, ashaving cake around all the time can only end in tears!). Next up, I'm planning to make some beautiful cupcakes in a selection of flavours. I'm thinking cookies and cream, caramelised apple and cinnamon, and peaches and cream, but if you've got any other suggestions then I would absolutelylove to hear about them in the comments box below! :) Anyway, the plan is to get a few of these pretty cake cases and a cake stand and to hold a little afternoon tea party, because let's face it, who doesn't love those?

The Nars American Dream Eyeshadow palette also caught my eye this month. Do I need to explain why? I don't think so, but let's just say that it's pretty, and it's Nars. As much as I love my beauty products and makeup, the one thing that I just can't seem to get the hang of is creating pretty looks with eyeshadow, and it really annoys me, so I'm hoping to be inspired to try again. Sadly, this is not yet available in the UK, but click on the link and you can buy it from the U.S. site.

I won't go on about the clothes, as I think they are pretty self explanatory. I just like them. Bralets, peplum tops, animal jewellery and Aztec print have all featured heavily across my Wishlists in recent weeks, and these are just the latest creations I have been admiring.

Are you ready to start stocking up on winter warmers, or are you still stubbornly holding out for more sunshine?

What's on your wishlist this week?

xx