2018 Health Kick?

Hello Creatives!

Twenty Eighteen has finally arrived and I can’t help but want to make it a reason to start new and make some changes in my life – beginning with my health. 

I go through these phases where im super unhappy with my body, so drastically change my lifestyle for a short period of time, then once im feeling better about myself again i let myself go and its a vicious cycle! I just cant seem to maintain the motivation! Anyone else feel this way?

I would love some tips and tricks about how to stay motivated. I will be starting full time work on the 22nd of this month, and im hoping that it will push me into a routine that ill be able to keep up with (really hoping that without being able to have ‘lazy days’ on weekdays, ill be able to stay focused).

I dont currently have a gym close to me, or the money to pay membership for one, so im really hoping ill be able to find a home work out program of some sort that ill be able to follow! Any suggestions?

Ive had a go at a few free apps, but so far the Nike Training Club app is my favourite! You can create a plan and it will give you different work outs to complete in order to reach your goals. Theres options to complete work outs with out without equiptment, and from beginner to advanced and low intensity to high.

I pretty much need some motivation so if anyone wants to give me a kick up the arse, go ahead! Haha!

Until next time,

Lana xxx

Officially an Adult!

Hello Creatives!

I hope you’ve had a magical Christmas and a wonderful new year! I was lucky enough to spend mine in Spain with my mum and dad, however the wonderful trip has come to an end!

The trip was filled with beautiful views:

Wonderful food:

And the best company – My parents ❤️

I’m sat writing this on my Ryanair flight back to Bristol from Malaga whilst waiting for everyone to board and I can’t help but realise that this was my last holiday before full time employment begins, where holidays may not be so spontaneous anymore!

I’m so excited to get back to George, and I can’t wait for us to celebrate Christmas again together! Well… open presents (as I couldn’t bring mine to Spain, apart from ones mum and dad brought for me – some beautiful wool and a Fitbit!).

This evening will be relaxed, and tomorrow we set off at the crack of dawn to Aylesbury to view a few properties to move into for our next adventure!

Oops I better go! Doors are shutting and fingers crossed take off will be shortly (we’re already delayed by 10 minutes… typical!).

Until next time, where I’ll update you on our adventures,

Love Lana xxx

We are Masters of Science!

Hello Creatives,

Goodness me, it has been ages since we last spoke! My life has (as per usual) been going 100 miles per hour and the excitement never ends!

George and I graduated our Masters Degrees (both with Merit) recently and as exciting as it all was, I forgot how bloody mind numbing graduation ceremonies can be Haha.

I’m sure most of you know or have an idea of how graduations go.. you collect your gowns, get photos taken, get more photos taken, sit through a ceremony, and then drink copious amounts of alcohol!

I’m just going to throw a few photos onto the page below of our big days and hopefully you’ll get a feel for how it went!

I opted for trousers instead of a dress as it was absolutely freezing and I was not ready to brave the cold that day!

Georges was thankfully a good 45 minutes shorter than mine, however, was at the bloody break of dawn…

Oh, and how could I forget, Georges older brother coincidently also graduated his Masters Degree on the same day as George but up in Leeds! So each boy had one parent, and here’s Joe below with his mama! As soon as George’s ceremony was over, we made the two+ hour drive up to Leeds for a big celebratory dinner.

ANDDDDDD if the boys’ graduation day couldn’t get any better… I was offered a job! (Sorry to shit on your parade boys… 😂)

Oh it was a simply fantastic week.

I’m writing this from a cosy sofa in our Spanish apartment where I will be spending Christmas with my family this year.

Merry Christmas everyone! Only two more sleeps to go!!

Until next time,

Love Lana xxx

This Little Welsh Seaside Town

Hello Creatives!

And here is the second part to my travelling series!

Long story short, George didn’t/couldn’t attend last years graduation ceremony for his undergraduate degree although he did manage to begin his masters degree in the meantime! Therefore, we had graduation number 1 for 2017 on July the 19th, and his second graduation will be November this year, followed by my own masters degree graduation ceremony in December! Crazy 

George and i drove down to Aberystwyth, Wales, and met his mum there for three days.

If you dont know much about Aberystwyth, it is a lovely seaside town on the west coast of Wales and is mainly a university town. You could probably walk from one end to the other in 20 minutes (add a little extra time for all the hills though!).

It holds so many memories. Its the place george and i met, the place i met my friends for life and, and it’s also the place this blog was created. P.s. No photos will ever do it justice.

Unfortunately the sun only shone on the day we arrived, and the stereotypical rain poured down, however it did seem to hold off on the day og Georges ceremony, even if the clouds threatened to open on us.

I Don’t Know About You… But I’m Feeling TWENTY TWO!

Hello Creatives!
He’s post number 1 of my recent travel’s (im hoping to post one a day!). If you have no idea what i’m on about and have wondered where the crochet has escaped to, have a catch up here!

So as i was selecting photos to add, i realised just how many i had from this week away! George and i flew into Malaga from East Midlands Airport where my mum and dad greeted us with the biggest smiles as always!

We then drove out to Golf Hills, just outside of Estepona where our house is. It was also the first time George had seen this property as we only recently purchased it (when i saw we, i mean mum and dad, i definitely dont have that kind of money just yet)!

We arrived on the first of July, and at 2.29am on the 2nd, i turned 22! Madnessssssss

We went out to eat, went to the local markets, and during the week we also drove two hours to Granada where we visited the Alhambra!

Enjoy the photos:

This was the best week, surrounded by people i love in a place i love.

Until next time,

Lana xxx

Where Have I Been?

Hello Creatives!

So unfortunately, my crochet has been put to one side fo a while, due to the fact that i have been ridiculously busy with my masters research proejct…. well, i should have been but instead ive been a social butterfly (the masters research project is currently throwing my stress level through the roof however).

I have so many photos i want to share from the past few weeks so im going to do individual posts for each event (i apologise if following my social life isn’t really your thing, the crochet will come back very soon!).

Firstly it was my 22nd brithday on the 2nd of July and George and i went to our second home in Spain to spend it with my family!

Secondly we went back to Aberystwyth where George and i completed our Undergraduate Degrees for his Graduation Ceremony (a year late!)

I then went to London thinking i was meeting up with one of my bestfriends, to then be surprised by all of my ‘girl group’ of best friends and we had the best weekend EVER.

After this George and i drove down to Bristol (his hometown) where we spent a week with all of his family and he attended an Airsoft Military Simulation event in Caerwent, Wales – obviously i was the chauffeur. I don’t have photos of this, however i have edited a vlog of us on a day out to an Army Surplus Store here in Nottingham! Something different!
During this week i also got to catch up with one of my close friends who has recently moved to Swindon with her partner and precious little girl. Baby therapy is definitely a thing!

Once we arrived back to our cosy flat back here in Nottinghamshire, ANOTHER one of my closest friends (i may seem like i say this a lot, but all  these girls i’ve mentioned will definitely be in my life forever… the type of bestfriends that you’d ask to help organise your wedding) came to visit after returning from 8 months of travelling asia alone! Soooo glad she’s back!

It’s not over yet – i have my longest and oldest friend coming to visit on Tuesday and I’ve not seen the girl in forever! She was totally my day 1 back in Aberdeen, Scotland.

On top of all this, one of my other close friends has moved back to the Nottingham area, so i am super glad to finally have a friend nearby. OH and george is also having friends visit… so it’s all very hectic.

Did i mention i had a masters research project due very very soon? Oops…

I hope you all enjoy the upcoming posts about my adventures. I will definitely throw crochet in somewhere, as im currently working up a little pile of granny squares with the cutest yarn that i do during my breaks from work – a stress reliever i guess…

Until next time!
Lana xxx

Project Updates – 29th Jan 2017

Hello!

I’ve finally finished my first semester of my masters! woohoo! So in celebration, my other half and i celebrated by a trip to Ikea, a trip to the game store and a trip to HOBBYCRAFT!

Current projects: 

Bunny Soft Toy: 

So i’ve been making up a bunny soft toy to perfect my own pattern which im thinking of writing out and possibly making a series of video tutorials! There are so many imperfections, but i now know how to change those, and the improvements that need to be made for round two!

She’s currently missing arms (as im still playing around with the patterns for these), but here are a few progress pictures:

 

Double Crochet Chunky Blanket: 

This started with some leftover yarn that i had used to make slippers and a hat and got a bit bored of! I then bought the same ball of yarn again in a different colour, and find tis project super relaxing as i don’t have to pay much attention and the colours are very forgiving!

 

Granny Square Blanket:

This one is a slow process… i focused on it for too long, and now i find it hard to pickup again! Uh oh! But i will get there… slowly…

I think i’ll work on these a little more before putting any photos up, or else they’ll look identical to in y last post!

Wooly Hat: 

My mummy has requested a lilac wooly hat as she goes hiking every week, and the Scottish weather requires her to wrap up warm! I haven’t started this one yet, so i guess this is a reminder to myself to get a move on! She’s coming to stay with me in March!!

Surprise gift for a best friend:

So this one is a secret and again, it is a reminder to start! Its going to be so cute! I have recently received a set of new hooks, which are so dreamy to work with, and will make this little gift perfect!

I intend to keep you updated!
Crocheted with love, Lana xxx

Do a Masters Degree they said, it will be fun they said!

Wow, okay, so i had myself so excited for all the blog posts i’d be able to write because i would only be in lectures 3 days a week, and now im so dissappointed with the lack of them!

One thing i now know very well about a Masters Degree is that although you arent in university as many days of the week as you are during an undergraduate degree, you have 10x the amount of reading and work to do. It’s killeeeeeerrrrrr. It’s very much a case of, here’s a taster of a topic, now go and read on the subject, we wont spoon feed you!

This for me has been a massive challenge as i struggle with reading, or at least understanding what i read, so having to read multiple scientific papers a week (and understanding them) is pretty tough!

After this Friday i will luckily have some time to relax and breath before assignments start to pile up again, and what a perfect time it would be to work on a blog post about a wonderful box of treats i was lucky enough to win recently! (time is escaping me… recently means just under two months ago – oopsie)

This box  was filled with goodies from Nutri2Go, LianMask & KohlKreatives! Please please please go check out their social media!

Instagram & Facebook: nutri2gouk
Website: http://www.nutri2go.co.uk

Instagram & Facebook: kohlkreatives
Website: http://www.kohlkreatives.co.uk

Instagram & Facebook: lianmask
Website: http://www.lianmask.co.uk

I can’t wait to share all the health and beauty bits and bobs with you, but until then, here’s a preview of what i was lucky enough to open up!

Now let’s keep out fingers crossed that i dont get bogged down with work for this long again!

p.s. i really want the mug in the header photo/feature image

Lana xoxo

Plantastic IKEA Haul

Aloe there!

After recently moving into our furnished apartment, George and I felt like there were a few things missing that we didn’t have, such as side plates, a bookcase, and wine glasses among others, so we decided to take a trip to IKEA! You’re probably expecting me to go on about these items, however the majority of what we came home with were PLANTS!

Having previously lived in shared student housing, purchasing decorative items for any room other than my bedroom, nice kitchen appliances or plants were just a massive no no! Everything would get lost, broken whilst drunk or die. So for the FIRST time, I was able to enjoy shopping for home items, for my own home.

Currently (and im honestly not sure how long they’ve had these or how long they will still have these) IKEA has been offering a set of three different potted baby cacti. They come in green, lime green, baby pink and white. I personally didnt select them on the pot colour but the specific cacti within the set. Some gave me goosebumps and were all hairy, others looked cobwebby, and the ones i seleced were perfect.

CACTACEAE £4.50 for 3

CACTACEAE £4.50 for 3

CACTACEAE £4.50 for 3

CACTACEAE £4.50 for 3 different cacti. Pot colours can beseen in the image above.

My colllection!

They just seem to make such a difference to the room, and i think they’re to blame for the the rest of the haul. It’s an addiction.

After walking around IKEA and collecting all the other items we needed we continued to the tills. Right before the store room was the plant section… 3 steps in and I had my sights set onto a shelf of baby aloe vera plants! You may or may not know that aloe vera plants are relatively expensive and have many usages, from beauty to lifestyle.

 

ALOE VERA £2.50

ALOE VERA £2.50

SOCKER 12cm £1.25

ALOE VERA £2.50, SOCKER 12cm £1.25. I placed my ALOE VERA into the SOCKER  tin to give it a nicer finish for the house. The SOCKER tin is also galvanised to protect against erosion.

Aloe Vera has many benefits, i know it has soothed me through a few burns!
Ive done a little bit of research so you don’t have to and have listed some of these benefits below.

So, according to Marie Claire, aloe vera juice is:

1. Detoxifying
2. Supportive of the immune system
3. Able to lower cholesterol & blood sugar levels
4. Excellent for digestion (and constipation)
5. And easy way to boost your vitamin and mineral intake
6. Good for burns, acne and hydrating your skin!

Read the article HERE

According to Prevention.com it can be used as:

1. A make up remover when used in the form of pure aloe vera gel
2. A shaving cream
3. A soothing ice cube
4. A face wash
5. and many more!

Read more from Prevention.com HERE

And finally, according to Healthline.com, aloe vera can be useful for:

1. Heartburn – Consume 1-3 ounces of pure aloe gel. As aloe vera has a very low toxicity level, it is very safe.
2. Keeping ruit nd vegetables for longer – by cating them in aloe gel, it keeps bacteria away making your fruit and veg freshers for longer!
3. Use as an alternative mouthwash – I will block plaque and also provide pain relief for sore gums. It also contains vitamin C.

And to read more interesting facts about aloe vera, just click HERE

There are so many websites that will advise you on the uses of aloe vera, as well as suppliers of aloe vera houseplants and gels, so go have a look and make use of its wonderful properties! I know i will!

Lana xxx

About my blog content..

I’ve come to the realisation that blogging isn’t as easy as it seems (or at least as easy as some bloggers make it seem!)

This blog is still very new and although two years old, has very little content. My blog began as a base to advertise George and I’s upcoming T-shirt line, however although highly successful, was very time-consuming. If it weren’t for university getting in the way, you would have seen our line being sold at all the music festivals across the UK during summer 2014. As amazing as the offer was to us, creating 600 units of our product wasnt manageable in the time frame of two weeks with a busy timetable. We were gutted.