Hello Everyone!

If you haven't already figured it out, I'm a massive lover of food and putting together recipes. I'm not someone who can just have the same cereal every morning, or a boring sandwich for lunch. Where's the fun in that? Another thing about me is that I'm a bit of a health freak, constantly searching for new super-foods to try. I just feel 100 times better when I have eaten clean foods, and I have a lot more energy.

I'm probably a little late to the smoothie bowl trend, but I've been having a lot of fun with them lately. Smoothie bowls are a thicker consistency than normal smoothies, and it's all about having fun with your toppings. With the right ingredients, they're filling and give you an energetic start to the day. Plus, who doesn't want to start their day with a breakfast that looks like something from you Instagram feed? And don't worry, they're incredibly easy to put together.

Here's a great guide to get you started: 

My Favorite Blueberry Oat Smoothie Bowl: 

A handful of blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Half a banana

1/2 cup of rolled oats

Tablespoon of chia seeds

1/2 an orange

1 heaped tablespoon of greek yogurt

1 cup (or so) of coconut milk 

Toppings: 

Shredded coconut

Fresh berries (you could use any fruit)

Energy smoothie seed mix (from the pic'n'mix section)

Put all of your smoothie ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.  If it doesn't look thick enough, add more yogurt and blend again. Pour into a bowl and add the fresh berries on top, followed by a line of coconut and seeds.

And enjoy your delicious and beautiful breakfast!

What are your favorite smoothie ingredients? Mango is one of my favs.
Steph x. 

Photo Credit: Pinterest

YA Books I Couldn't Stop Reading

Is there anything better than getting addicted to reading a book? It's one of my favorite feelings in the whole world. I'm a massive lover of YA fiction, and even at the age of 24 I can still relate to them in a lot of ways. I thought I would put together a list of the books that have stayed with me over the years that I just couldn't stop reading!

Fangirl
Rainbow Rowell
I feel like I barely need to explain this one, seeing as most people have probably read it by now and loved it. This book is relatable for so many reasons, I especially found Cath's anxiety was explained so well and I just felt at ease reading it. The characters in this are so vibrant and you learn to love each of them (well, maybe Nick being an exception.) It's the type of book that you can read again and feel like you're hanging out with old friends.

Divergent 
Veronica Roth
I still remember reading this when I was supposed to be studying for my university exams (priorities, huh?) I was so desperate to take breaks so that I could read more of it. I know that there are a lot of dystopian worlds, but this one seemed more detailed and exciting to me. It's such a thrilling read, and don't even get me started on Four <3

The Raven Boys 
Maggie Stiefvater
This one took me a while to get into, but once I did I couldn't stop reading! It's about a group of boys who are on the hunt for spiritual energy lines (called ley lines) that leads to an ancient king who will grant you a favor. The wonderful Blue finds herself becoming tied to these boys and and equal amount of trouble and adventure ensues. Each character gets their time to shine in this series and you find yourself drawn into their group too. This is one of the only series that has gotten better with each book!

Alienated 
Melissa Landers
I'm getting more and more into sci-fi YA and this one was really great. To sum up the story, it's about an alien student exchange program where each of our sides are trying to learn and benefit from the other. Cara is stuck with and alien of her own, Aelyx, who has to adjust to human life. The thing that I loved most about this one is how it develops the whole way through. As their feelings for each other, and the ever-present dangers grow, I became more and more addicted to this story. It's one of those reads that makes you wonder what you would do in this situation, and wonder how society would react.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone 
Laini Taylor
Oh man, if you love Prague, going between a fantasy world and the real one, following a bad-ass heroine, and a romance that leaves you breathless, this is for you! Karou is torn between two worlds and begins to discover her past with the help of Akiva, the book's angelic love-interest that you will no doubt fall for. It's equally gripping with it's setting and characters. If you're sick of the same old YA books, this one might be a great change for you.


The Splendor Falls 
Rosemary Clement-Moore 
This one is a lot less well-known, but it has been on of my favorite books for years now. It has everything you could need in a good read: romance, magic, mystery, and a whole lot of sass. After Sylvie breaks her leg, which ends her ballet career, she reluctantly moves to Alabama where she becomes involved in a mystery that haunts her new home and the weird behavior of the town's youth. Cue Rhys, the dashing Welsh boy who helps her save the day. This is one of those "don't judge a book by it's cover" reads that blew away my expectations.

The Fault in Our Stars 
John Green
I honestly put off reading this one for a while, because I knew that I would spend the whole time crying. And I did. But it was all worth it for being amazing as well as heart-breaking. It was one of those books that had me gripped because I needed to know what was going to happen. Of course, I had to explain to my family why I was balling my eyes out at 3pm...

Delirium 
Lauren Oliver 
I read this one a few years ago now and it's still one my favorites. It's set in a world where love is treated like a disease and when you turn 18 you get "cured." The main character Lena always believed what they told her, until she meets Alex. It's a dystopian novel following first love, rebellion, and deciding what matters most in life. The rest of this series was fantastic as well, highly recommended!

The Body Finder
Kimberly Denting
One of my favorite YouTubers and fellow bookworm, Carrie Hope Fletcher, highly recommended this book and as usual she was right about how great it was. It follows Violet who has the gift to sense dead bodies, which gets her into trouble when a series of murders hits her town. It has all the thrill of a Teen Wolf episode and an adorable romance that will make your heart flutter. I need to read this one again ASAP!

Clockwork Angel  
Cassandra Clare 
I picked this one up on a whim, not realizing the fictional world that I was throwing myself into. It's the first in the prequel series of the popular Mortal Instruments books. I actually much prefer this series and it has always gripped me more than the originals. It's the same brilliant Shadowhunter world with demons and bad-ass characters, only it's set in Victorian England with it's amazing costumes and cobblestone streets. If you loved Jace and Clary's romance in the Mortal Instruments, just wait until you meet Will and Tessa.

What books have you been addicted to reading?

I'd love some recommendations!
Steph x. 

50 Things That Make Me Happy

Hello Everybody!

I came across this lovely blog post a while back and loved it so much that I immediately started writing down my own list. As I've grown older I've learned how much you have to appreciate the little things in life and you never realize how much of a difference they make to your happiness. When I'm stressed, it's nice to look back at a list like this be reminded of all the things that make me feel better.

Here are 50 things that make me happy:

1. Books. Lots and lots of books. 

2. Coffee, made just the way I like it. 

3. My dog's faces when I get home from work.

4. Starting a new planner in January. 

5. Superhero movies. 

6. Snow. The more like Narnia, the better.

7. Interacting with other bloggers.

8. Feeling comfortable in my own skin. 

9. Wearing new socks for the first time.

10. Going to concerts.

11. Getting into bed with fresh sheets.

12. Roller-coasters.

13. Buying new stationary.

14. YouTube videos.

15. Getting that perfect photo.

16. Getting on a plane before a holiday.

17. Wearing bold lipstick.

18. Mexican food. 

19. My family (seriously, how did I get so lucky?)

20. Mash-ups of pop songs. 

21. Beach days.

22. Mint chocolate chip ice-cream.

23. When my favorite song comes on the radio.

24. Looking at old photos.

25.When someone smiles back.

26. Blogging <3

27. Getting new tattoos.

28. Pop music.

29. Seeing squirrels in America.

30. Watching Chuck. 

31. Baking for my family.

32. Skiing. And not falling over once!

33. Movie marathons with friends.

34. Spontaneous adventures.

35. Wearing big hoodies.

36. Sloths. 

37. Creating and coming up with ideas.

38. Christmas time. 

39. Flat-lay photos.

40. Liking every song on an album.

41. Working out in an empty gym.

42. Lindt Chocolate. 

43. Margaritas.

44. When my liquid eyeliner game is on point (Which isn't very often, so it's nice when it works)

45. Making pancakes. And eating them.

46. Listening to movie soundtracks. 

47. Having my Mum's fruit crumble for dessert. 

48. Finishing a running event.

49. Seeing my hard work paying off at the gym. 

50. Hawaii. My ultimate happy place.

Now it's your turn! What makes you happy? 

If you have done a post like this before, leave me a link and I will go check it out. 

Steph x.

My Morning Routine

7-7:30 am:Wake up time! I hate wasting the day so I always try my best to get up before 8am (let's face it, this doesn't always happen.) After my alarm goes off I usually lay in bed for a bit and check my notifications or see what YouTube videos have gone up. This always helps me wake up!

I go straight to the kitchen so I can get my much-needed coffee fix, which I can't start my day without. I start making my breakfast at this point too, even if I'm no entirely hungry yet. My usual go-to is porridge with banana and blueberries, but sometimes I will change it up and just have yogurt and fruit. You know, because you have to keep life interesting. I always put chia seeds in my breakfast, because it gives me great energy for the rest of the day.

Next comes a very important part of my morning: watching the latest Sacconejolys vlog on YouTube. My day is not complete without them! Even on holiday I made sure to catch up on their daily vlogs. It always starts my day on such a happy note. I will put on a few other videos as well, or I'll start listening to music.

8am: After I've had breakfast, I always check my social media properly. This usually means scrolling Twitter for far too long! Although, social networking is a big part of a bloggers life so I don't feel bad for it. I also love this time for reading a few blogs as well, and see if I can find some new ones to follow (leave me your links!)

When I was working at my last job, I hated not having this chill time in the morning. I would go off to work in such a rush that I would even eat my toast in the car (I wouldn't recommend it.) I feel very grateful that I can start my day like this now.

8:30am: This is when I start to get my blog post for the day ready to go up. Just a bit of last minute editing and making sure all of the links are there. Sometimes it gets to 8.45am and I've forgotten that I have to get a post up...I might start editing a few other posts at this point too.

9am: Blog post time! I think it's really important to have a set time for your posts to go up, and this seems to be the perfect hour for mine. I usually go back to Twitter after I have hit the publish button and maybe go through a few tags, like #girlgang.

9.30am: Now comes the boring part of my morning where I force myself away from my laptop and get some chores done. You know, empty the dishwasher and put the washing out. After I'm done it's time to change into my gym clothes. I will be honest and say that I do wear eyeliner to the gym, just because I don't want to look like a complete zombie. I try and start drinking some water at this point too.

 

10-10.30am: Gym time! (that's genuine excitement btw) I really should be at the gym by 10am, but lets face it, I'm one of these people who are usually late for things. It would also be smart to go earlier in the morning, but with all the people there it's a panic attack waiting to happen. I just can't concentrate, so I wait for everyone to leave instead. My day isn't the same without the gym now. I'm always more energized and feel more productive when I have gone that day. I usually go for an hour, or a bit less on days that I meet my Mum for a run afterwards. 

11.30am: Home from the gym! I'm usually starving and exhausted by this point, so I make myself a protein smoothie. I've come up with my ultimate favorite recipe, and it's always my reward after a hard workout or run. It's all blended up using our Nutri-Bullet, which I honestly use twice a day. It's been amazing in getting me to eat healthier.

• 1/2 a frozen banana (chopped)
• Tbsp peanut butter
• 1 cup of milk (I use almond or calcium-enriched)
• 1 tsp cacao powder
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

11:45am: Shower time! I only live 5-10 minutes away from my gym, so I don't bother showering there unless I need to rush off to an appointment. My favorite post-gym shower gel is the Zoella Beauty Foam Sweet Foam, which is super refreshing and smells like blueberries. Since my skin is usually gross at this point too, I always use a cleanser and my favorite lately has been one by First Aid Beauty. Unfortunately, I am now running out and need to order some more since it's so good!

Whenever I use my Zoella Beauty shower gel, I always moisturize with her softening lotion afterwards. The scent is exactly the same, so it's the perfect match. Plus, it makes your skin feel amazing. This is usually the point in the day where I feel energized and ready to get work done.

By this point it has gone past 12pm (since I've taken too long picking an outfit) so I have my lunch before putting on my makeup for the day. And that finishes off my morning!

. . .

I hope you enjoyed this post! I love watching videos of this on YouTube, so I thought it would be fun to give it a go. I know I always curious to see how other bloggers spend their mornings.

What's your favorite part of your morning?
Steph x.

How I Organize My Weekly Planner

Hello Everyone!

One of my absolute favorite things about starting the New Year is getting to organize my new planner. I get a real kick out of writing everything down and it makes me so excited to start new projects. Since leaving university the year before last, I haven't had much of a reason to have a planner (adult life is boring!) But since I started blogging, I need to have everything super-organized to keep afloat, which means more fun for me!

Since I enjoy this kind of thing, I thought I would share how I organize my weeks and any tips I have for staying on top of things. 

My Planner

So I picked this one up at Typo, which is one of my absolute favorite places to shop because they always have really cool stationary. I loved it because each day has a lot of space and there's a monthly calendar before the beginning of each month. It also has a blank page for notes at the start of each month too, which is great for writing out your goals for that particular month. Always choose your planner carefully! It will make organizing so much easier. 

Monthly Planner  

So, this is where I plan out my month of blog posts, which helps me visualize what the month is going to be like. Since doing blogmas, my goal for 2016 is to get four posts up every week instead of three. This way I can plan out my whole month in advance and make sure I have enough ideas organized. I make sure to leave a bit of room in case I have to change ideas or I get a better one. You could also write in any big events here too.

Notes

Since this section is blank, you could use it for anything you want. I'm going to use it for key things coming up in the month or financial things to prepare for. You could also write your monthly goals here, which could be for your blog, exercising regularly, or anything personal. If it's going to be a busy month, then don't forget to remind yourself to take some time to relax and chill out. 

Notes to write in the week

We all know that every day will be different, and with blogging there's always so much to do! Daily tasks and reminders will take up most of the room and it's a good idea to write these in at the start of the week. 

Things I will be writing in each week: 

Blog posts to go up

Twitter chats 

Tasks to complete that day

Days I'm working

Pay day

Payments coming out

 Reminders e.g put money in savings  

Appointments 

Birthdays 

Key things that happen to remember later

Year Planner

This is the boring part, but it's one of those necessary adult things to do. In this section I am going to write my income throughout the year, as well as the balance of my savings. I think it's a really good idea to keep track of this, even though it can be a bit depressing! I have an exciting trip planned for September that I have to save hard for, so I need to be smart about finances this year. I guess we have to pretend to be adults some times, right?

It is my aim to be glued to my diary this year, it just helps me to have everything written down.
I hope this helps anyone looking to be more organized in 2016.

What's your favorite way to stay organized?
Steph x. 

Baking with Ro: BB-8 Cake Pops

"I fail, so you don't have to!"
 

Welcome to the start of a new series on my blog, Baking with Ro!
My amazing brother bought me Nerdy Nummies, by Rosanna Pansino for Christmas and I knew right away that I wanted to try these recipes out and show you guys my progress. In this series, I will be showing you my favorite creations that Ro has done, and give you any extra tips and tricks that I learn while making them. Think of these posts as a companion to her videos!

When this video for BB-8 cake pops popped up in my YouTube subscription box, I got really excited and knew that I had to make them. I'm a big Star Wars geek, if you didn't know by now! Who else enjoyed The Force Awakens?

Rosanna gives you all the ingredients and method in her video below!

My experience baking these cake pops:

The number one lesson I have learned in my time baking, is that the recipe never turns out perfectly the first time. I always have to have a couple goes to get it right, and this was certainly the case with these. 

First of all, Pound Cake hates me. I don't know what I did to offend it, but it refused to co-operate. I did get confused with the change in measurements between the US system and ours, so cake no. 1 didn't make it. Cake no. 2 was far more promising and worked out (thank the baking gods!)

Crumble the cake and add icing to bind it

To be honest with you, I had my fair share of disasters making these. After I rolled out my balls the first time, they were too big. I put too much oil in my white chocolate, so I had to dip the pops in about three times each to make them solid white. My makeshift stand wasn't the best idea after all, because they kept falling over. And my royal icing went thin, so I had to take all three bags out and make them thicker. BUT baking is all about learning how to handle things when they go wrong, and to be honest, it really helped me test my patience (I very nearly gave up and threw them all in the bin.) Just breathe, have a break, and come back to it with a clear mind.

My tips and tricks:

Allow a decent amount of time to make these (It took me about 6 hours in all.) You really don't want to rush them either, so make sure to have the day free. 

I didn't have any Styrofoam (who has it lying around when you need it?) so I just made holes in an upside down egg carton to hold my sticks. It is a bit finicky, so beware that it can and will annoy you.

You only need to roll a tablespoon of the mixture, or they will be too heavy for the sticks.

It's a good idea to put the pops back into the fridge after you have put the melted candy/chocolate on  the stick (before you dip the whole thing in.) Mine kept falling off otherwise.

If you can't find candies for the BB-8 heads, I just made them using white fondant. Roll pieces into a ball then cut them in half. Worked like a charm.

Make sure you have a few extra cake pops just in case some don't work out. Only nine out of fifteen made it for me...RIP

The final result!

 So, what do you think? Definitely not perfect, but there was fun to be had while making them. This quickly turned into one of those projects that is hard at the time, but once you're done you're really glad you did it. Look how cute they are! 

I hope you can learn from the mistakes I made and have fun baking these cuties! Did I mention they taste amazing too? All credit goes to Rosanna and her amazing team, so make sure you go watch her video. She sure does make everything look easy, but I'm excited to try out more of her recipes soon.

Steph x.

New Year Blog Refresh

Hello Everyone!

So, a while back I found myself in a cafe before work, drinking coffee by myself and I started brainstorming how I could update my blog for the New Year. It actually got me really inspired to work harder than ever and to try new ways of blogging. It's taken me a little while to get my blogging feet, but I'm feeling confident and I'm still loving it. I've been working on Hello, Steph for about six months now and I think it's time for my baby to level up! 

Here's what you have to look forward to in 2016:

New Design

I've been wanting to do this for a while, but I wanted to wait until New Years to do it. One thing I always do when I'm browsing blogs is pay attention to their design and layout to see what I like and what works. And there are some great ones out there! I wanted a clean and fresh look for Hello, Steph; what do you think? It's from a great Etsy shop. 

More Posts Per Week

One thing that doing blogmas has taught me is that I can work harder to get out all of the posts I want to publish. While also keeping the quality that I want too. This will all depend on how busy I am, but you can look forward to four posts every week from now on! You will get a cheeky bonus post every so often too.

Themed Weeks

I'm really looking forward to doing this in 2016. About once a month I will be uploading posts everyday for a week all based around a particular theme: Happiness, Fitness, Self-love, Books, Beauty, and more!

Better Photo Design

Now, I think my photography has definitely improved since I started all those months ago! This year I want to spend more time perfecting my flat lays and having a bit more fun and imagination with my blog pictures. It's honestly one of my favorite parts of blogging and I would never want anyone to do it for me. Not to mention I've been having a lot of fun on Instagram lately too.

New Topic Section: Health and Fitness

This is something that is a big part of my life and I would love to share my fitness progress, tips, and even my food diary with everyone. For a while I wasn't sure how it would fit with my other posts, but seeing as I'm a lifestyle blogger, it's just another reflection of me! Let me know if there's anything you want to see. 

I'm really excited for this coming year and I have a feeling it's going to be a good one!

Are you updating your blog for 2016? Let me know how!

Steph x.