the life diaries

One Month Without Social Media? | TLD 03

February 10, 2019

Hello,
How are you? It feels like a loooooong time since I last sat down to write a blog post! I have had a busy few weeks between one thing and another, so I am so happy to finally be finding the time to sit down and write something. 
Today's post is a little life update thingy. To cut a long story short, at the end of January I thought it would be interesting to challenge myself to a whole month without using twitter and instagram. I feel like it can be really, really easy to fall into the trap of wasting so much time scrolling through social media. It's addictive. 
Although I think that social media can be an amazing thing, I do feel that it comes with a lot of negativity! I decided to see whether I could go a month without really using twitter and instagram. Ten days in and...it's actually going really well!
Two things I want to clarify; I am still using another twitter account I have which is dedicated solely to my academic interests, and I am also having to check instagram occasionally just to check whether I have received any DMs (but that literally takes me one minute!) Otherwise, I have been without it! I was scared at first that it would make me feel out of the loop, but I can't tell you how refreshing it has actually been. I have come to realise just how much you can get dragged into the world of social media and find yourself relying on it for reassurance of your self worth! It can be so toxic when you get too caught up in it. I definitely need to spend so much less time on it in the future. 
Anyway, that's a little update to explain why I have been so quiet online recently!
I hope you're all keeping well.

Thanks for stopping by!
Love always, 
Eve x

favourites

Current Favourites | Jan '19

February 01, 2019

Haia,
Oh wow, January draaaaaaaaaaagged. That being said, I do hope you have all had a pleasant month! I thought I'd share some of my favourites from the past month because I always love looking back at my old favourite posts! It's also really lovely to get to share all of your favourite things with others! 



Lucy Watson's 'Feed Me Vegan' Cookbook:
You may or may not know that I am a vegetarian, and have been all my life. I made the decision recently to start making more of an effort to cut down on my dairy intake. One of my close friends actually bought me Lucy's cookbook for Christmas (she knew that I wanted to try more vegan foods). I am always a little bit nervous about vegan cookbooks, as many of the plant-based cookbooks I have invested in previously have been way too complicated and the recipes would cost a lot to make. This book, however, is different. It is realistic and far more simple. Furthermore, the recipes are actually the kinds you want to include in your day-to-life, e.g. a vegan pizza. It has a perfect mix of recipes; from cakes to pasta, porridge to pancakes, burgers to salads....and plenty more! This is FANTASTIC if you are considering going veggie, vegan, or even want to just eat more vegan meals.
Grace & Frankie:
If you follow me on social media, it is no secret that I love this show. I cannot even express to you how much joy this show gives me. It is so funny, clever, emotional, heart-warming and lovely. I cannot help but love all of the characters. All of them...but especially Franke (my girl!) and Brianna. My mam and I love making time to watch a bit of Grace & Frankie together. Just thinking about this show brings a smile to my face. I love it. I really do. Plus, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda are two of the greatest people ever.
Easy 60s Playlist:
There is something about 60s music that makes me feel hopeful, relaxed and happy. There is something special about putting Spotify's 'Easy 60s' playlist on in the morning.
Call the Midwife and Les Misérables: 
Strangely, this month it has been Sunday evening TV that I have enjoyed far more than Saturday. It has been so lovely to watch one of my all-time favourite shows, Call the Midwife followed by Les Mis. The BBC adaptation of Les Mis, based on the novel rather than the musical, has been rather special; so dramatic, heartbreaking and just wonderful. The cast of this adaptation are phenomenal!
Call the Midwife, of course, remains to be one of my favourite programmes; so heart-warming, emotional, heartbreaking, educational, hopeful and really lovely.
Vera:
My favourite detective has been back on TV this month! I love Brenda Blethyn and I really love Vera. It is another show that my mam and I just love to watch together. So dramatic and engaging, whilst also being really clever and funny! This series has been fantastic so far.
Frankie's & Benny's:
I have always been a big F&Bs fan, but my goodness, they have upped their game! One of the tough things about being a veggie whilst growing up was the lack of options (usually you were limited to one choice on the menu), but things are starting to change now. My friend and I went there this week for a vegan feast as there was a 50% discount on vegan meals, and it's safe to say that I was absolutely blown away by the choices available. I had an amazing vegan burger followed by an absolutely delicious vegan cake! I cannot wait to go back for another meal soon.
Happy February! 
Thanks for stopping by!
Love always, 
Eve x