Winter Essentials

It's almost the end of November, and it is seriously freezing over here in the UK! Definitely prepping for Winter (although I already started shopping for winter clothes around October haha). The most important thing for me during Winter is to keep warm, as I get cold so easily! So below are some Winter essentials I think would come in handy:

Image source: Keblog

1. Heated blanket

This is good for keeping warm when you're snuggling on the couch or when you're sleeping - who else has difficulty sleeping when it's cold? Well this will keep you warm throughout the night!

Image source: Pinterest

2. Fluffy slippers/slipper boots

I absolutely love wearing my fluffy slippers around the house during the Winter, it just feels so snug! 

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8 Tips On How To Be Your Own Boss

Being your own boss can be really exciting - you can finally do what you want and be who you want to be, but at the same time it can be very stressful as you have to juggle so many different things at once! Here are some tips on how you can be more productive and successful running your own business coming from my own experience as I am currently working towards that goal too, so I try to incorporate the following things in my daily life:

1. Set a schedule:

It is so important to set a schedule and stick to it, and make each day a specific type of day. For example, Mondays could be meetings with clients, Tuesdays could be photoshoot day and Wednesdays could be editing day. This helps to structure your week and makes it easier to plan tasks.

2. Work smarter, not harder

If you also have another job or are at uni whilst you're trying to start something new such as a blog or your own business, the key is not to work harder, but to work smarter. So on days when you have time to blog, make sure you prepare multiple blog posts and schedule them to post, so that you don't have to keep writing blog posts everyday. If you're having a photoshoot, make sure to plan ahead and take lots of photos in one go that you can store away on your computer and use for later, which may come in handy for a future blog post. This will help to avoid shooting photos last minute or on the day that you want to publish.

3. Plan ahead

For any business, you'll make your life so much easier if you just plan ahead. It will save you the stress of doing or creating something last minute, and your potential clients will also thank you for it too.

4. Prioritise your work

It can help to write a to-do list of all the things you want to do, and then prioritise which are the most important tasks. It can be to do with work, up-coming trips, socials - this can ensure that you get everything done in the order that it needs to be done.

5. Wake up earlier

For many of you, you may be like me and feel more productive at night than in the mornings, and feel inclined to wake up around noon and work till 2am, especially if you're working from home. But honestly, if you want to be professional, it's best to wake up earlier and start work at the same time as a normal office person as most people will send you emails and call you during the day. So you don't want to be replying to them 6 hours later as they might not take you seriously.

6. Go to sleep earlier

This goes without saying - as I mentioned above, if you're going to wake up earlier, you're going to need to go to bed earlier! Not only so that you can get up in the morning, but sleep is really important for your body and mind to rest and re-charge, so aim to get your 7-8 hours sleep every night.

7. Save money

Being your own boss comes with its own risks, and there may be times when you won't get paid  - so be prepared. A lot of companies don't always pay on time, or if your business is experiencing a slump, then it definitely helps to save money along the way in case this ever happens, so you have something to fall back on and aren't left in a frenzy. Don't let this put you off from being your own boss though, as it does come with it's own perks too!

8. It's okay to say 'No'

You might be at the stage where people are reaching out to work with you, but their goals might not align with yours, or may be unrealistic for you to achieve, or you don't really have any interest in working with them, then it's okay to reject them - remember you don't have to please everyone! It's better to be honest about it as you could actually let them down more if you said yes you'd do something but failed to deliver or come through on your promises.

So those are my 8 tips on how to be your own boss, I hope this helped you in some way, whether you're thinking of starting your own business or have already started! These tips definitely helped me with starting my own blog, so if you enjoyed this post please subscribe to see more! :) I'd also love to hear what you guys think, so feel free to leave a comment below!

Until next time,

Carissa xxx

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HIIT Kitchen Food & Nutrition Review

I've been wanting to try this place for ages since they opened up in my town, as it's meant to be a healthier option! I've seen HIIT Kitchens pop up in London and is quite a popular place to go for lunch; these days, who doesn't want to have a healthier lifestyle? It offers healthier meals that apparently have been approved by nutritionists. So I went to check it out!

They offered a few meals such as Teriyaki Salmon, Chicken Caesar Salad, BBQ Chicken, Jerk Steak with Cauliflower Rice and Vegan Falafel, all of which are available to eat in or take away. There were also wraps such as Coronation Chicken Wrap, Halloumi Wrap and Salmon Wrap, and some light snacks such as Chickpeas & Halloumi, Protein Overnight Oats and Coconut Chia Pudding. Drinks that they offered included coconut water, sparkling energy water, protein water, Nocco BCAA caffeinated drinks and a variety of protein fruit smoothies.

You can order tea, coffee or smoothies at the counter, and they also serve different acai bowls and 'build your own' bread with toppings of your choice.

For me, I chose the BBQ Chicken meal, which had a few slices of chicken breast, sweet potato, broccoli, cabbage and sweet chilli sauce. In my opinion, it was a light and lean meal but not very filling, and the sauce was not like sweet chilli at all but it was nice and without the sauce the meal wouldn't have been as nice.

The nutritional values on the front of the pack state that the meal contained 658kcal, 9.5g of fat, 3g saturates, 41g sugar and 1g salt (in a 590g portion). From a nutrition graduate perspective, I somehow think that 658kcal is a bit high and doesn't really reflect the meal, as there wasn't that much carb in there - there was less than 100g of sweet potato in there, so that would only be about 70-80kcal, and a few slices of chicken breast would be about 80kcal, and vegetables are so low in calories. So I don't see how that adds up? 658kcal is like more than the amount of calories in a chicken curry with white rice! Anyway, it is a good meal if you're looking to lose weight for sure as it is quite balanced in terms of the amount of carbs, protein and portion of vegetables, but it's not really sustainable as you'd get hungry quite quickly - that's probably why there's healthy snack options next to them, like chia puddings and fruit smoothies as they know you'll get hungry! It was also quite pricey for the amount you get - £6.50 (£6 if taking out), but that's expected from these healthier cafes.

Overall, it was a healthier meal in general as there was less fat and carbs and the portion size was smaller, so suitable for people who want to lose weight or consume less. Sweet potato is a good alternative to carbs like rice and white potatoes despite having a slightly higher sugar level as it still provides energy, contains more fibre which is good for the gut, and it has a lower GI (the sugars are broken down slower to prevent a high peak in sugar levels). It also contains vitamin A which is good for your vision and immune system. Having chicken breast instead of chicken thighs or legs is a healthier option as it is the leaner part of the chicken, so reduces the fat content of the meal and provides protein (although they were a bit stingey with the chicken). There was a good amount of vegetables to get some vitamin Bs and minerals like potassium and magnesium in the diet.

I probably wouldn't buy the meal again (it would be more cost-saving to make my own healthy meal), but I would like to go back to try their acai bowls, coffee and maybe a protein smoothie! :) Thanks for reading my review, I hope you enjoyed it!

Carissa xxx

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Top 10 Places I Want to Visit

There are just so many places that I want to visit! I think travelling really opens our minds to other cultures and lifestyles that are so different to how we live our lives, and allows us to feel a sense of adventure! In no particular order (except for the first one) Here are my top 10 places on my bucket list:

1. South Korea

Image Source: The Real Travelers

South Korea is on the top of my list of places I want to visit, for many reasons! Firstly, I love kpop and the Korean culture, which I think is reason enough to want to visit! I’ve been a fan of kpop for about 9 years now, which is a very long time! It would be amazing to learn more about their culture. Secondly, I love the Korean language; I have self-taught myself Korean and also attended classes at uni, so I would love to be able to test out my Korean language skills :P

2. Japan

Source: Daily Mail

Japan has always interested me, and I particularly want to visit Tokyo! I also want to see the cherry blossoms in bloom, it looks so beautiful in pictures! I can also imagine the food there would be so good – I absolutely love Japanese food, it’s like my favourite! (you can never have enough sushi).

3. Maldives

Image Source: Lux Resorts

This island has become a popular holiday destination this year, and I can see why! It looks so serene being surrounded by the sea, and I can just imagine myself chilling on the beach or sitting outside my hotel window taking in the sea breeze. It would be an amazing place to go for a relaxing holiday, and would make a great honeymoon destination too!

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How to Make a Summer Mojito

Now that it's June and the weather in UK is finally starting to lighten up (stop with the mood swings UK!) it's time to bring out the summer antics - BBQs, house parties and picnics at the park! Recently, I've been really craving a nice minty Mojito to keep me chilled out in this heat, and so my boyfriend and I have come up with this simple recipe on how to make your own Mojito this summer! It only takes about 2 mins - Read on to find out more:

Image Source: Noblepig.com

Ingredients:

Mint leaves

Limes

Lime/lemon juice

Sugar/syrup

Lemonade/Sprite

Vodka/white rum(if you want to add alcohol)

Equipment:

glasses/mugs

spoon

chopping board

knife

Method:

1. put a small bunch of mint leaves into a glass and crush it with a spoon

2. add a teaspoon of sugar/syrup (you can add more later on if it's not sweet enough)

3. cut 2 or 3 slices of lime and add this into the glass and squeeze out the juice with a spoon

4. add a tablespoon of lime/lemon juice

5. Fill the glass up with Lemonade/Sprite and mix well

6. (You can add alcohol to the drink if you wish)

You can change the amount of sugar or slices of lime in this drink depending on your own taste. I find that adding more mint leaves helps to bring out the flavour better!

Here's how ours turned out:

Pretty cute right? We decided to use our couple mason jars haha!

And that's how you make a Mojito! Hope you all enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my blog, Facebook or Instagram to see more food and lifestyle posts like this :)

Carissa xxx

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How I Edit My Instagram Pictures

There are many good apps out there that allow you to edit your pictures to make them look Instagram-worthy, but for me, I try to make my pictures look more clean and natural without looking over-edited, but still be able to stand out. If you're curious to know how I edit my Instagram pictures, read on to find out:

The app I primarily use (and can't live without) is Vsco.

I use this editing app for every picture of mine - the filters make it look so much more clean and professional, and the editing tools, like adjusting the brightness and contrast, are very easy to use, even for beginners.

Filters are at the bottom - you can download a range of filters from their library. My favourite filter has to be HB1. Using the same filter consistently in all your photos will make your Instagram page look much neater and more pleasing to the eye, so I try to use the same filter all the time, but it depends on the photo and colours present; some filters are better suited for other types of photos, so just play around with the filters and experiment!

I always have to adjust the brightness/exposure, as a lot of the time the picture is darker than I'd like it to be. Other tools I fiddle with are sharpness, temperature, shadow and tint - these are really useful tools that can make a huge difference to your picture.

The crop tool always comes in handy, as I prefer my pictures to be in the square form (1:1) to fit the Instagram page, but sometimes I use 4:5. I also use the grid to align my photo in the way that looks most aesthetically pleasing - in this photo, I have aligned it in the middle, but for some photos such as selfies, I try to align the eyes somewhere along the second line of the grid on the points where the two lines intersect, as this is where most people will be drawn to, so it makes sense to put the eyes/face there, and not right in the middle of the grid.

So that's how I edit my Instagram pictures in a nutshell! Sometimes I use the Instagram editing tools on top of using Vsco if the picture needs some last minute tweaks :) I hope you found this useful, please leave a comment below if you liked this post or feel free to ask me any questions to do with editing!

You can also find me here on Instagram.

Thanks for reading my blog!

Carissa xxx

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How to Save Up For a Holiday

Are you constantly searching on SkyScanner or Ebookers for affordable holidays, but always feel like it’s too expensive, especially when you add up the costs for flight + hotel + spending money? Or you always find yourself going for it but you’re skint af afterwards? Well here are some tips I’ve found useful in helping me to save up for a holiday! Read on to find out more:

1. Set a Budget

It’s important to figure out how much you want to spend on your holiday and how much you want to save. The best way to do this is to make a list of the things you will need to pay for your holiday:

Flight costs

Accommodation/Hotels

Travel insurance

Food and drink / eating out

Entertainment – e.g. bars, clubs, tourist attractions

Transport costs (buses/trains/taxis)

Car Hire

Even little things if you must, like:

Holiday clothes

Swimwear

Sun cream

Toiletries

Then note down next to each one how much you’re willing to spend, then add up the total. Now, you’ve got a good idea of how much money you’ll need for this holiday. It might look overwhelming, but you can do it! (Slowly but surely).

2. Start saving

You have to commit to saving a regular sum each week or each month. Try to be realistic by thinking about how much you spend on a daily basis. You can start by putting a certain amount of money or spare change into a jar each week. Or if you have a bank account, it would be a good idea to set up a separate bank account where you can keep your savings in – then all you have to do is set up a standing order of a certain amount of money to be transferred from your bank account to your savings account each month. That way, it is done automatically and you don’t need to worry about over-spending. You’ll even earn a bit of interest by having money in a bank account, and it helps to act as a separate stash for your holiday goal.

Whatever you do, just make sure you set aside some money on a regular basis. You can even calculate how much money you’d need to put away each week/month in order to reach your holiday budget.

3. Get a job (if you don’t already have one)

Your holiday money has to come from somewhere - If you are busy studying at uni/college, even a part-time job can help a lot, but of-course prioritise your schedule :) So get started on updating your CV that you said you were going to do ages ago, and start applying! There are many websites these days that help with writing CVs or job hunting, but I find a good way of making yourself visible to potential employers is to make a LinkedIn profile.

4. Spend less on things you don’t need

For all the shopaholics out there, this is the time to restrain yourself if you want that holiday - It will be tough, but it’ll be worth it in the end!

So that's it! Sounds simple right? That's because it is - All you need is some self-discipline, commitment, patience and motivation and you can get the holiday you've always wanted :)
For some travel inspirations, click on my 'Travel' tab at the top, or have a read of my Prague trip and Italy trip!

Thank you for reading this post, I hope you found it useful :) Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any other helpful tips and suggestions on how to save up for a holiday!

Carissa xxx

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Gift Ideas for your Valentine

Valentine's day is approaching! Struggling with what to get for your other half? If so, don't worry - I've searched around to come up with some gift ideas just for you! Read on to find out more about these gifts for him and for her...

For Her:

Georgio Armani Si Eau de Toilette

£45-81

This perfume looks elegant and has a lovely fruity fragrance, perfect for the feminine and sweet type of girl! This can be bought in many shops, such as Boots.

Gift wrapped Lindt Chocolate Bouquet

Debenhams

From £39.99

Looking for something a bit sweeter? This Lindt chocolate bouquet from Debenhams is the perfect gift for the chocolate lover, and it contains a good selection of milk, white and dark chocolate truffles.

Personalised Mini Message Bracelet

Debenhams

£39

This is a very simple and minimalistic bracelet, and adds a personal touch to it with the mini message option! This can be bought from Debenhams.

Personalised 10 Things I Love About You Jar

£20

This gift idea is great if you want to add a personal touch to show just how much you love her! This glass kilner jar with a ribbon bow looks adorable! Just add your own messages to the jar, which can be any fancy looking jar by the way, but this one I found is from poshtottydesigns.com

Hotel Chocolat 'Blushing Hearts' 75g

£7.50

I looove the chocolate from Hotel Chocolat, how can you go wrong? These chocolates can be bought from Hotel Chocolat or John Lewis and contain hazelnut praline, passion fruit cream in white chocolate, and salted caramel!

Personalised To The Moon and Back Trinket Box

£11.95

Another personalised gift, in the form of a cute trinket box! This design looks sweet and simple, and it's from prezzybox.com

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Christmas Gift Ideas for Him

Struggling with what to buy for him this Christmas? Here are a few ideas I've put together just for you! If you liked my 'Christmas Gift Ideas for Her' post, then here's another treat :P Read on to find out more:

1. Sat Nav - Has he recently passed his driving test or got a new car? Then a Sat Nav would be a great gift, and it can mean more travelling for the both of you - Win-win situation!

2. Coffee Machine - Does he love his coffee? Then a coffee machine would be great for those lazy mornings!

3. Couple Pillow Cases - I think this is so cute, and it will bring a smile to his face when he sees this! XD

4. Game - Guys and their games... whether it's Final Fantasy, Formula 1 or Call of Duty (COD), there's sure to be something that they're keeping an eye on! Although if he's a game addict, maybe avoid getting this haha! We don't want to encourage them ;)

5. Headphones - These Beats headphones in gold look so nice and it's wireless, so no need to worry about those annoying wires getting in the way!

6. Men's perfume - This gift is more personal as everyone's taste is different, so it can be more tricky to buy, but it would make a great gift if you know what his style is like! Boss is a good make and a favourite for many people!

7. Personalised wallet - Not just a wallet, but personalised! :D This will make the gift more special, and there are lots of places you can get them done or order it online.

8. Watch - This is a nice gift if you know his style well, or if you know a particular watch that he likes! What guy doesn't like watches?

9. Photo Album - A simple yet cute gift idea that never gets old! This will surely make him feel loved and remind him of the happy memories you've shared together.

10. Man Bag - This can be a work bag, a suitcase, a rucksack, or any bag that suits his needs - a useful gift idea for a guy who has everything but needs a place to put it all!

11. Shoes - This can range from trainers for the sporty/outgoing type to Grensons for the smart type! All you need is his shoe size and his favourite colour, pretty much.

I hope that's helped you with a few ideas, I definitely struggle from time to time finding gifts for guys, it can be tricky when they seem to have everything they need! But just use some imagination and go with their personality! :) If all else fails, hand-made gifts are also an option and these are one of the sweetest gifts! Hope you enjoyed this post, please follow my blog for more lifestyle posts like these, and check out my other post on Christmas Gift Ideas for Her if you haven't already! :D

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Christmas Gift Ideas for Her

It's 1st of December, which means Christmas is just round the corner! Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Or are you still struggling with what to buy? Here are some Christmas gift ideas for her (i.e. your girlfriend/wifey) made by moi :D Buying stuff for girls is really not that hard, trust me!

1. Couple mason jars/mugs - these are really cute, and you can get them customised/engraved with your names on it to make it extra special! My boyfriend had bought me these last year for Christmas and I love them!

2. Blender - great for making fruit smoothies if she's into the healthy eating life, or if you guys just want to get into a healthy eating habit haha! The NutriBullet is a great blender and you can get it from stores like Argos.

3. Camera - A good idea for taking more pictures or selfies together :D Is she into photography? A polaroid camera is also a cute option, and it prints out your pictures instantly.

4. Deliciously Ella Recipe Book - If she likes cooking and food, this recipe book from Ella Woodward can be a great gift - Ella is currently one of the biggest influencers for healthy eating, a three-times best selling author and co-founder of the mae deli.

5. Superfood Smoothies Recipe Book - Another recipe book, but for smoothies; this goes well with the Blender that I mentioned above (number 2), and it can give some ideas for what smoothies to make.

6. Earmuffs - A sweet gift for the winter season! You can get these in all sorts of colours and patterns, just go according to her style!

7. Handbag - What girl does not like handbags? This one I've picked is a Rebecca Minkoff Love Shoulder Bag in grey, it's gorgeous!

8. Watch - A watch is a good option if you're stuck for ideas. Here is a rose-gold Michael Kors watch which looks stunning!

9. Naked Smoky Eye Shadow Palette - This new Naked palette by Urban Decay is a great gift, especially if she's into beauty and makeup. The colours in the palette create a smoky-eye effect. Here is my review on my Naked Palette if you want to have a read!

10. Couple bracelets - These are sooo cute, and you can get them in different styles and be matching haha!

11. Polaroid print outs - If you don't have a polaroid camera or just want to print out your pictures to look like polaroids and still have good picture quality, Cheerz can print your photos out and it comes in a pretty box too! They also do magnets, photo albums, wall posters and calendars! I've ordered from Cheerz twice so far and I've been really happy with it! You can use my discount code 'CARIWB' to get £4 off your purchase :)

Hope these gift ideas have helped! Please share it or comment below, I'd love to hear what you think! Another post will be up soon - Christmas Gift Ideas for Him, so stay tuned! :D

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