Being Vegan: Day 1 :)

3rd July 2014

Woke up pretty positive today knowing that I had done all my research of being a vegan and having an idea of what to eat for the day.

Also noticing how quickly it is for me to get ready when I don't have to put on any makeup and put much effort into my hair is such a nice change I have to admit!

Before work I popped into Marks & Spencer to grab a banana for breakfast and my lunch as it gets really busy around 1 o'clock.

Here is where I came across my first obstacle.

I have never checked the labels of food products so much in my life! Even when I went through that calorie checking stage as a young teenager, this time it was a little frustrating. I soon realise that alot of food have traces of milk and egg which left me grabbing a tomato and basil soup (lovely!) and a small baguette.

I know the simple option is to grab a salad but I'm not a salad kind of girl I'm afraid. I know this makes my vegan month alot more difficult but I like my vegetables cooked in a certain way and can't deal with the consistency of some food, crunchy leaf type salads being one. And trust me I have tried!

For the rest of the day I did feel peckish at times but I knew that was my bad eating habits that I needed to put down and fight through by drinking water. I must of be going up and down to the toilet every 5-10 minutes!

The next obstacle was eating out. I had just found out my first year results at University and passed so my mum offered for us to go out for dinner. Immediately I knew that I was in murky waters but nonetheless I agreed. I knew I would have to eat out eventually so why not bite the bullet on the first day!

We ended up going to Prezzo and I had done my research online, looking at their menu's and what vegan options they had.

To eat I had:

-Bruchetta
- Penne Arrabbiata
- House Fries *did originally order baby potatoes but realised during my starter that they had butter on them haha close one!

I knew I could choose a any pizza without meat and cheese as a vegan option but none really took my fancy so instead I chose pasta, which I checked online is supposed to be vegan. I did feel limited especially since there was a presence of cheese and meat on nearly every main dish.

That was all I ate today and it was a bit of a struggle but I think it is going to slowly get easier!

Till tomorrow!

Ciara x

Being Vegan For The Month!

On the 2nd of July 2015 on my way to work, on a horribly hot tube, I decided that I need a body cleanse. As I daydreamed while listening to Florence & The Machine's new album I allowed my brain to slowly decide that for the month I am going to go as natural as possible.

Which concluded with these rules for the month:

- Vegan diet

- No makeup 

- No straightening of my crazy curly hair 

- No unhealthy snacks unless its like a needed treat :) (and is obviously vegan!)

- Exercise!

It looks really simple and easy when writing it above however I know this is going to be a real struggle for me!

Firstly being Vegan came to my mind because my diet has gone downhill the past month (due to personal matters) and I am that kind of person who needs a sudden, drastic change whereas others need to gradually get used to it. However I knew I had already ruined my vegan diet for the day as I had a frappuccino before I decided to make this drastic change so it would have to properly start the next day.

Another problem is that I do rely on meat alot in my diet and so does my family. As I am currently at home for summer I would eat whatever is bought for the house. So once I got home I looked in the fridge and found nothing, making me already feel negative towards the whole thing. I ended up having precooked baby potatoes and tomato paccata for dinner which was surprisingly nice. Another issue, but only for the next two weeks or so, is that my kitchen is currently under construction so food is scarce and an oven is absent. The obvious conclusion, especially for a vegan diet, is to eat raw however I'm not exactly a saint when it comes to eating raw fruit and vegetables.

But I am willing to try and will post daily what I eat and how I find this lifestyle change. I will include any food I make or buy that is particularly good and any other ways that help me on this little vegan journey.

As for makeup and my hair, this may be harder than the change of diet. I have notice recently how much I rely on makeup in that I hate going out in public without anything on my face. This might be a confidence issue even though my skin isn't too terrible but I personally know that I look better with makeup and straight hair. To be honest, I am more conscious about my eyes and eyebrow which are blonde thus making me look really... boyish? Also my oily prone skin (especially in this weather!) and my face turning red frequently makes me want to grab for my nearest foundation.

But (again!) I want to help my hair and skin heal and rejuvenate! So for the oily and redness I have purchased a mattifying primer, review will up soon, and loads of skincare products to help heal my skin. 

So that is it! If you want to see my little journey which started on the 3rd of July (writing this a wee bit late hehe) then check out my daily posts. I understand that being vegan is a huge lifestyle change and something that alot of people think should be stuck to for longer than a month however I know personally that I couldn't be vegan for the rest of my life yet I understand the health benefits it has :)

Ciara x

The City I'm In | Lincoln | HeyyyCiara

Not alot of people know about this small city residing in the midlands of England. Not just internationally but even people who live in this country, of those I have I have conversed with of course, always pretend they know where Lincoln is but really had no clue it existed or assumed elsewhere. Which of course is okay haha, probably one of the reasons why I love this city, because not everyone knows about it.

I currently go to university here in Lincoln and have lived here for a year and a few months. I am in my first year, I changed my course which means I will be living in Lincoln for a total of four years by the time I finish university. At first that thought was daunting as well as changing my mind on my course but I have accepted it because its difficult to find much fault in this city. Don't worry London, you will always be my favourite!

Soooo I thought I would go for a wee walk up to one of Lincoln's most famous landmarks, its Cathedral. I took my camera, which has been gathering dust back in London, and went for a walk during the night becuase 1. my sleeping pattern is messed up and 2. Lincoln is gorgeous at night especially with its Christmas decorations. What I didn't realise is that I spent a good hour just walking around, admiring the beauty and taking pictures with a tempermental camera (you shall see).

So here are some of my favourite shots (btw I am in no means a professional photographer and this camera is a Samsung digital one so the shots may not capture exactly what I hoped!)

On my way to the Cathedral from my home

Lincoln from the hill

Getting that Christmasy feeling yet?

Olivares Tapas Bar

Now you must be feeling Christmasy!

The Cathedral itself!

Shadow of a statue of Tennyson

 

(In)Famous Steep Hill

Brayford Quay

 Now back to the my tempermental camera. Basically I almost had to take three shots of the same scene, not by choice, because it would focus or come out that sharp. However (!) something pretty cool I think has come from these 'failed' shots that come across  either quite creepy or beautiful, creating a scene that a normal photo may not have shown.

Could totally be an album cover, right?

My personal favourite, love how creepy it looks!

It just seems that the lights drag off into the atmosphere while the rest of the still and structured background stay unmoved. Sentimental and poetic, I know ;)

Anyways I hoped you have enjoyed this post, slightly different from what I usually do but I think I would like to branch off into other areas other than beauty and fashion. So keep an eye out for more to come!


Ciara x