The New Year.

Hello,
I was going to leave the New Years post until Saturday, but really there's no time but the present is there?
I will first apologise for not posting last weekend, I took a little break to spend time with family and enjoy Christmas with both my aunt's family and my own family, which was really lovely. I had the pleasure of spending time with lovely people, eating great food, and of course seeing people open the gifts that I had gotten them while also receiving some really thoughtful presents as well.

So as the typical cliché I often am, I take this day, the last day of the year, to reflect on my year and the 16 years before that (although I probably don't remember my first 4 years well) and appreciate all the amazing things I have in my life, including what I have accomplished and who I am today. What I appreciate most about this day is reflecting on who I have in my life now. I have the most amazing family, and this year may have been a little bit rocky at time I love them and I know I can always count on them when I really need them. Also my friends, I could ask for more amazing friends...I've been trying to describe them and my love for them, but I can't. They are indescribable and I know that I can always trust them to be there for me, and I'll always be there for them too.

This past year has been such an odd year, I don't know where to begin. So I'll methodically start at last new year when I set myself some 'goals' for what I wanted to achieve in 2014...
The first on my list was 'Be healthy-exercise' I can officially say I achieved this for 5 weeks in total. Then I failed...Badly... I mean it's not that I want to lose weight but my diet is appalling and I could do to tone up a little...
Second was to study more. I can say I achieved this, until September and I've not been very organised at all.. However my results from August reflect where I studied and where I neglected a little bit... I got A,C,E <----Need to work on that one.
My third goal was to start up a blog...It took me until September this year but I quite obviously have a blog now...I do have big plans for 2015 and hope to post more and do more beauty and lifestyle things on here.
My fourth goal was to GET A JOB. I have a job now. I got one in June this year, and it wasn't what I applied for but I work with the nicest people I could ever had hoped for, so I couldn't wish for much better (although a pay rise would be nice ;D).
My fifth goal was to work out my future plans. So it seemed to me this time last year that everyone had their act together and I needed to get mine together. It turns out that really most people didn't know what they wanted to do long term just what they enjoyed in the present time and some possibilities for the future. I wish I knew that then because I spent days, weeks even months this year stressing about the future and I'm still no closer to knowing if I want to go to university or if I want to do psychology long term. I just know that for now I'm enjoying what I am doing and I can continue it until I know for sure.

So that's 5 of my goals set for last year- I did set 10 but some are a little bit too personal for me to put on the internet for the rest of time...

So this year I'm setting some new goals. The reason they are goals as it means I don't have to implement them straight away I just have to achieve them before the year is up... or try to.
Goal number 1: Study MORE! This was in last years and I want it in this years to give me that motivation I've lost in the last few months. I don't want myself to get an E again. Only Cs and above...Maybe Ds...I'll wait for the exams before making that clear.
Goal number 2: ORGANISE MYSELF! From my reflection above I think I can conclude I could've achieved more if I was a bit more organised. So I'm going to get myself organised and timetable my life a bit more (of course my blogging and writing will be factored in to this).
Goal number 3: Yes, here it is the classic lie to myself, be healthier! I want to try and drink more water, eat a bit more fruit and veg and also walk/run 2 miles per day to begin with, I may increase this as the year goes on.
Goal number 4: READ MORE BOOKS. Referring to my previous post on books and how I was going to read 1 a week. Yeah well that was a MAHUUUSIVE fail. So I'm setting a goal of 18 books to read, as I will turn 18 this year. Including the ones seen in my previous post. I finished the book The Help by Kathryn Stockett today so I can start a new one tomorrow.
Goal number 5: Spend a bit more time with family and friends, and a lot more time appreciating them. I feel I did lose some of my appreciation and gratitude for those around my over the past year at times and so I want all my nearest and dearest to know how much I care all throughout this year.

They are my 5 goals for this year, in a years time I will look back on them and comment on how I've done.

So I hope you have all had a lovely 2014, and I hope 2015 is better for all of the people who read my blog. I also hope you had a lovely Christmas as I didn't get to wish you that before leaving on my family break over a week ago!

Thank you for reading as always,
Love Caitlyn xxx

Reindeer cake pops!

This is my festive cake pop second all time attempt.
For this you will need:
Cake pops- I baked my prior to decorating the recipe was a basic Victoria sponge recipe.I made 10.
150g Chocolate (for 10)- preferably milk or dark chocolate, but if you want blue, pink, white reindeer I won't judge!
Mini marshmallows- cut in half and squashed for eyes
Red Smarties! Or any colour really, once again your choice.
Prezels- my first attempt I used salted and the savoury and sweet went very nice together in my opinion.
That's it for food items really, but I recommend you invest in a polystyrene or oasis cube to stand the cake pops in while they are setting, Put foil over the oasis/polystyrene as then it avoids chocolate going on the block.

So first you need to allow your cake-pops to cool or set depending on your method, while this is happening, it's a good time to make the reindeer's' eyes.
First you need to get your mini marshmallow and cut it in half and round them to look as circular as possible. Once this is done melt some chocolate, I did 2 blocks, and carefully with a small paintbrush or tool paint the eyes- you can make them as creative as you like, I kept mine quite normal though.

So now you should probably attach the cake pop sticks to the  cakes, I used chocolate as it's easy to cover later. Allow this to set in the oasis/polystryene cube.

Then separate the Smarties, if you're doing all red noses like I did and break the pretzels in half to create the antlers.












By this point the chocolate should have solidified enough to cover the cake pops in chocolate, melt the remaining chocolate, I recommend over a pan of water to allow a bit more temperature control.
Cover your cake pops in the chocolate and put back in the standing block.
Once the chocolate has pretty much set attach the features of the reindeer adding a little bit of chocolate if necessary to help glue the features.

So hopefully you've now created some lovely little cake pops for you and your family to enjoy, I hardly have any left and they've only been made 24 hours ago! These can be great not just as a treat to enjoy around Christmas time but also as little gifts for friends.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed.
Love, Caitlyn xxx

Here's a comparison of last years and this years attempt. Which one do you think is better?

This year's on left, last years on the right.

Things I would tell my 11-15 year old self.

Hey guys, I'm still going to be posting my reindeer cake pop post, but that's going to be Friday. But right now I'm really in the mood to blog as I'm in such an inspired creative mood and I was thinking about what I would tell my younger and slightly younger self when I was in secondary school just to basically get the point across that there is NO point in stressing the irrelevant things.

So here are 10 little pieces of advice I would give my younger self when at secondary school:
1- STAY AWAY FROM THE TWEEZERS! I mean great try and get nicer eyebrows but just get them done properly as the very thin/half missing eyebrow look is not appealing dear year 8 self.
2- Don't worry so much about what people say about you or if they don't like you because in a few years or even a few months it isn't going to matter any more everyone will be going in their separate directions with college and uni, you probably won't see some again after you leave.(I still need to take this advice now if I'm completely honest!)
3-REVISE! Oh my god, please don't cram 3 years worth of information in to 2 weeks. It is stressful, it's impractical and quite frankly my results would have been so much better if I started revision when they told me to in November/December while warning me how fast the year will go.
4- Don't get involved in the irrelevant things, at the end of the day school isn't only about finishing with the best possible results you can achieve it's also about having fun and making friends who make the entire experience bearable. So do not waste your 5 years being bitches. Just focus on your true friends and having fun as maybe when you go to college you will need them friends more than ever.
5- Stop making excuses. Now I am and was the queen of this. In all aspects really from why I was late to why I didn't do homework to why I got a bad grade in mock/classroom exams. JUST STOP. Instead of making excuses try and just be better next time, it's much more productive.
6- Be confident! I wish I was or am more confident not only in school but also now at college. I will stress it is NOT stupid to ask questions in class that may seem obvious, if you need clarification ask the question- it can even be after class if it makes you feel better, but do not let yourself suffer in silence not understanding something because you don't want your peers to laugh at you. (I need to take this advice even now). Also you're not an arrogant person because you're confident. Confidence makes people radiant and happy so that should be how people should act.
7- The green eyed monster-jealousy is not worth it. At the end of the day if the guy you like likes someone else sadly you can't change that and it's difficult but there's no point spending all your time hating the girl he likes or the guy himself (this also applies to any other relationship). You may as well spend your time with the people who do like you than worrying about a guy who doesn't, because if you truly believe he is the one then it will eventually happen.
8- Don't get pressured in to things. I'm not necessarily talking about sex or sexual things, just in general. If there is something you don't want to do, do not allow yourself to be pressured whether that's smoking, drinking whatever. You are not required to do things that make you uncomfortable, you have the ability to say no. Know your boundaries.
9-Do not make choices based on your friends (similar to the last one) for example just because they want to do French or cooking, that does not mean you have to choose the same classes if you're much better at media or business or whatever choose what you enjoy and suits you, not what all your friends have chosen as at the end of the day you'll probably get better grades in a subject that you enjoy with no distractions than the alternative.
10- Be yourself! You might be 'weird' or 'different' but everyone has their quirks and so own it! Don't feel isolated because you're a bit more flamboyant than other people, always be yourself and live by your morales and beliefs because you'll enjoy life a bit more that way.

So there's just 10 things I think I would have benefited from telling myself if I could go back in time. If you would like please comment what you would tell your younger self.
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!

Love, Caitlyn xxx

BAKING!

Hello,

So this baking post isn't probably what you're expecting from a baking post, such a making scrummy treats and delights, of course they're to come in the future. But this one is going to be a dog friendly bake! I will say before proceeding the reindeer cake pops in my last post will be to come- however if you go on YouTube and search 'Cherry Wallis' it was her recipe I followed.
This will honestly make your dog go crazy and it's a typical love from dogs of bacon and peanut butter.
This biscuits are also gluten free which is super great as gluten can be an issue for many dogs and their digestion (of course if you do not have gluten free flour or do not want to purchase any, normal flour will work the same).
So this recipe I found on http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/ last year and I strongly recommend this blog if you're a fan of baking she's recently posted a lovely looking peanut butter cookie surprise on there.

The recipe is:

• 1 cup (255g) natural creamy peanut butter (crunchy or smooth, your choice)
• 3/4 cup (180ml) non/low fat milk
• 1 large egg
• 1tbsp baking powder (I used gluten free)
• 2 cups of whole wheat flour* (I used gluten free bread flour)
• 1/3 cup (30g) oats
• 2/3 strips of bacon, chopped. (I also used some of the bacon fat to help bind the mixture)

First you need to preheat the oven to 160C degrees or 325F.

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

Then you need to grill your bacon, allow to cool.

While the bacon is cooling put all the dry ingredients in to the bowl and mix together well. 

Then add the peanut butter, egg and milk a little at a time mixing in between additions.

Now cut up the bacon in to small pieces you feel appropriate for your dog and add to the mixture (this is when you add the bacon fat if you're adding this). The mixture should begin to form a dough.

Once all combined, on a floured surface roll out the dough and cut out the biscuits- get creative or festive with this part, you can free hand or use cutters. I did free hand 'dog bones' and used a
  Christmas tree cutter just to make it more festive.

Once all the dough has been used to the best of the capabilities, put in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Take out the oven and turn the biscuits over a bake for a further 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

When golden brown allow to cool before feeding to your dogs. If you've made a lot of biscuits and don't want to fatten up your pup too much these biscuits can freeze for up to 2 months.

*Unbleached all purpose (plain) flour is recommended when it comes to dogs, but I used brown and white gluten free flour.  If in doubt of allergies consult your vet for best recommendation for your dogs dietary requirements 

This is how I made my 'dog bone' cookies. First I did two lines similar to a smile/frown.

I then found the middle of the area and did two arrows.

Finally I rounded the corners to make it look more like a bone.

So that's all from this post.
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed. Please leave comments and if you would like to take pictures of your attempt my twitter is @AwkwardDaisies.

Love, Caitlyn xxx

Winter warmers.

Hello, 

Sorry I didn't post at the weekend, I was with family having a great time with young cousins watching the new Paddington Bear movie (it's great by the way, I would recommend whether you're off for yourself or taking younger children with you).

This post is going to be the things I love about winter and also how I manage the pesky colds and flu I'm so prone to getting within this weather- I swear I have the worst immune system!

Not Costa- but still great hot chocolate!

So the first thing I love about winter is HOT DRINKS. A year ago I don't think I could imagine saying that.

I mean of course to begin there's hot chocolate which I'm currently in love with, not only does Costa Coffee's festive menu bring me much joy, but I also love making my own and trying out different flavours- I did a Crunchie hot chocolate the other day, it was so lovely!

Such a great winter warmer!

To move on I'm a big fan of fruit teas, something I've really gotten in to this year. My favourite all time tea is Twinnngs Cranberry and Blood Orange fruit tea. But a little bit more festive and wintery is Twinings Winter Spice tea (throughout this tea ramble you'll realise I like Twinings) but their Winter Spice tea wasn't something I thought I would like, but I was pleasantly surprised- it's also super good if you've got a bad cold, it may not get rid of it but it makes you feel a bit better in my opinion. 

Another tea I really like which is a bit sweeter is Twinings (SURPRISE!) Strawberry and Cranberry tea. It's just really nice if you want something sweet but not really a chocolatey drink.

But to move on from tea. My next love of winter is Christmas, of course.

I love the anticipation and the festivities. It's not even Christmas day, it's the build up to Christmas.

Remembrance Day inspired

I'm especially excited this year as it's going to be a bit different this year for me which brings me both major excitement but also a lot a nervousness. This year I got a job, and a slight downside is having to work over the Christmas period. Thankfully I'm only working Boxing day, but it means I can't go on the family holiday with my mum, sister and grandma who I usually spend my Christmas day with. So instead I'm going to my aunts and I can't wait to see how she does Christmas, what traditions she has and how they do the day. It seems weird but some people's Christmas days vary a lot.

The best festive nails I could do!

But back to my original post of Christmas,  I also really excited because of my job, I actually can buy people presents this year, that I think they will really love. I just can't wait to see the reaction on their faces when they open their gifts and it's something they've really wanted/needed. I'm much more happier giving gifts than receiving them, I appreciate their thought but I hate to trouble people or put them out- I know I can be difficult to buy for..

My next huge love is fashion at this time of year. I absolutely love the deep reds, purples, the festive designs for nails and the same deep colours for lips.

First frost I've seen this year.

I just love the entire scheme of how you can look and also the baggy warm jumpers- my favourite thing! I love being warm and cosy. Although I'm not a fan of the cold weather I do love the cosiness it brings.

Just a quick few things that I want to list before going is I love seeing the sun rise and set, I love frost in a morning and when the first flurries of snow come and settle. Most of all I love doing festive baking!

Lovely dog walk at sunset!

I could probably keep on listing but I feel this post may have gone on long enough and I really should be revising for my biology coursework assessment tomorrow, I'm such a procrastinator!

As always, thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed this post.

Love, Caitlyn xxx