Healthy Lunch (Couscous Salad)

Okay so I wasn't really keen on posting this 'recipe' but it was my lovely sister who encouraged me to go for it after she asked me for the recipe (lol)

This couscous salad is incredibly easy - I have started to bring it for lunch most days this week and it's so versatile too, because you can change up what you add to it every time! (yay)

Making it was really just a method of trial and improvement - I apologise that the quantities aren't exact, it's mainly because I can't keep track of what I add as I usually just go by taste and also because my serving sizes usually change depending on what I'm adding so really I encourage you to just go by what you think tastes 'right'. 

What I added to the couscous:

-Squeeze of lemon

-Teeniest drop of apple cider vinegar - (trust me you don't want to over do it with this one)

-A little basil

-Salt and pepper

-Small drop of olive oil

You can really add anything you want to your salad but for me I just added 1) what was in the house and 2) what I like - so feel free to add on or take away stuff. 

- Spinach

- Red Onion

- Crumbled Feta

- 1/4 of an Orange Pepper

-1/4 of a Green Pepper

- Spring Onion

- 2 Cloves of Garlic (can you tell I love garlic?)

-Cashew nuts

-Pine nuts

-Sunflower seeds

I also like to add 1/2 of a cold chicken breast marinated in paprika and basil, to bulk it up but sadly I didn't have any chicken in the house today:( 

Also a shoutout to my Mum as the spring onions, spinach and peppers are all fresh from the garden..

Hope you enjoyed reading! Maybe it gave you some inspiration..? 

Comment below your thoughts, see you soooon x 

Lush Haul

I ordered this over a month ago and after a couple of angry emails and a lot of sighs of frustration in anticipation it has finally arrived! YAY!

 

LOOK HOW PRETTY

I'm not even going to try to go into the smells - I am ridiculously awful at describing smells (soz) but can we just generalise that they all smell terribly good? You can also see I mainly purchased Christmas-y items because who doesn't love getting festive? I sure as hell do.

Also! I got really excited because 'Magic Wand' smells exactly like snow fairy and it just reminds me so much of Christmas because my Mum would always buy me a little bottle as a stocking filler and yep I'm way too excited. (Pointless personal story, apologies.)

Clockwise from top left
Snow Angel - £3.95
Star Light, Star Bright - £3.50
Northern Lights - £3.50
Candy Mountain - £2.75
The Melting Snowman - £2.25
Magic Wand - £5.25
ButterBear - £1.95

I don't want to use this little guy, he is just too cute!

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Hope you enjoyed having a nosey through what I bought in lush - maybe it inspired you to get some of these festive (amazing smelling) goodies!

Music You Need to Listen to Right Now!

Lately I have discovered a couple of good tunes and bands that are pretty great in my opinion and I feel like I need to share them with the world so we can all bask in their greatness. Sound good? Okay, lets go.

First off I have fell in love with the band 'Bad Suns' (look how pretty they are)

Bad Suns are an alternative rock band from California, they only formed in 2012 and their album Language & Perspective was released this year. I think you should keep your eye out for this up and coming band - they are awesome.

Some of my favourite songs of theirs is 

Cardiac Arrest

Salt

We Move Like the Ocean

(I've linked youtube videos of these because you have to listen)

I have so much love for this band, I just really hope they come to Ireland soon because I need to see them live. 

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Another - not so well known - band I have been loving for a couple of months now is the band 'Family of the Year' which is also another indie rock band originating from California. I feel like this band has more of a 'folky' style compared to Bad Suns so they are not the same kind of indie rock - am I making any sense?!  

You probably know the band from their song 'Hero' which became very popular and is definitely one of my favourites, it's literally one of the most beautiful songs ever and if the time is right it will make me cry (pathetic, I know). Their album 'Loma Vista' is amazing and I would definitely give it a listen.

Here is a few of my personal favourites:

Stairs

6AM

In the End

Find It 

If you haven't listened to them yet - please do, they are brilliant and deserve so much more recognition in my opinion. Honestly you won't regret it.

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Instead of going into more bands I would rather share a couple of songs that I have been really loving lately, as you can tell I have a pretty indie taste. (*cringe* I sound like one of those super cool 'hipster girls')

I have been loving two songs from the band 'Young Rising Sons' which are so uplifting and I have been listening to them everyday - seriously they are so good and just make you feel great: 

High

King of the World 

Another song that keeps me feeling upbeat is 'Shut up and Dance' by 'Walk the Moon'. If you are in a bad mood and need cheering up, listen to this now. I dare you to listen to it and not want to sing and dance along. Double dare you.

I'll also throw in a couple of random songs I've been loving recently just incase your music 

library needs a bit of a revamp:)

'Thunder Clatter' by 'Wild Cub'

'I Wanna Get Better' by 'Bleachers'

'When I Get Older' by 'Wild Party'

I know this post is a little different to my usual posts but I just really want to share some of my new music. Hopefully you enjoyed reading and you may listen to a couple of these songs and hopefully like them as much as I do!:) 

Also leave a comment below if you have listened to any of these/ liked them!