Gorgeous canapés on offer
Food – for some it is merely part of surviving, of living from one moment to the next, and fuelling all your endeavours along the way. For others, it is a constant quest for new mouth-watering flavours and alluring aromas to tempt the palate and excite the senses. As a bit of a foodie, I’m always searching for a new lip-smacking experience and as you can imagine, I was in my element when the team at Jarrolds department store, in Norwich, invited me along to join them for their food blogging event to mark the opening of their new bistro restaurant, Benji’s. Offering a whole new dining experience that is a step above that of the other three restaurants and coffee shop within the store, the restaurant has a fabulous menu designed to entice even the fussiest of eaters. The restaurant has such a sophisticated feel and the fine decorative touches really make it feel warm and welcoming, as well as exclusive and a real treat.
The starter platters really did have something for everyone!
Upon arrival, we were welcomed with champagne and canapés – a warm greeting if ever there was one – with the intricately designed snacks artfully arranged on platters decorated with flowers. Each platter showcased the fantastic array of flavours evident throughout the menu, with some delicious battered smoky barbecue chicken served with a fiery sweet chilli sauce, plus a wonderful goats cheese and beetroot stack (cheese provided by local Fielding Cottage), and finally some crab towers that were packed with flavour. All of these delectable delights left us wowed by the combination of flavours that perfectly complemented the other tastes. Shortly after the introductions, we were treated to a cooking demonstration by the head chef, who has years of experience working in top London hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants. He swiftly whipped up a treat for the nose and the eyes with pan-fried sea bass on a bed of artichokes, samphire and salsa verde, with seasonal vegetables. It smelt absolutely divine, and looked so simple to prepare, although I’m sure mine would not look half as presentable as his. Reflecting the constant changes to the menu, this dish will only be available for a couple more weeks as samphire goes out of season. Using only local produce and producers, the restaurant’s menu is dependent on what is available within Norfolk.
Myself with Leah of Roots & Toots (left) and Gabriella of La Scarpetta (right)
After the demonstration, we headed downstairs for a look around the deli and home-ware department, both of which had us all drooling over treats – both of the food and kitchen-ware variety! We moved between the shelves, checking out everything from chocolate pasta to parsnip and chilli chutneys, lusting over everything from Emma Bridgewater mugs and egg cups, to Artisan mixers. We were lucky enough to have a demonstration of one of the Sage by Heston Blumenthal smoothie makers, which was so easy to use and made the tastiest ginger, apple, orange and kale smoothies – a perfect palate cleanser before we headed back upstairs for our dinner. On the walk back upstairs, I finally got to indulge in that dream of having a department store closed just for you and yes, I did feel exactly like Topshop’s Chloe Green, it was great to wander around the shoe department without any shoppers in my way!
The amazing seafood starter platters
There are not enough words in the English language to do justice to describing the amazing spread that awaited us back in the restaurant, with multiple platters lined up and packed with the most incredible selection of seafood, meats, vegetarian and even floral treats! I can’t list everything that was there, but you’ll be able to see from the photos the delicious piles of scallops, smoked salmon and mackerel, prawns on the fish platters. On the vegetarian plate, there were various raw vegetables, plus roasted aubergine and peppers, hummus and an onion chutney, with pitta and even edible flowers! Over on the meats platter, there were piles of chicken with peanut and barbecue sauces, mini sausages with a tomato sauce, terrine which went beautifully with an apple sauce and much more. It’s making my mouth water again just thinking about it – and I haven’t even added the photos yet! The food was accompanied by a great range of wines and soft drinks, for those of us who were driving, plus plenty of foodie chat about our favourite restaurants and dishes – thanks for the recommendations guys!
And some of the treats on the meat platters
Shortly after, the main came out and although we already knew what it was, we once again marvelled at the beauty of the colours on the plate, before tucking in excitedly. It was an amazing dish, so tasty and I would really recommend trying it before it disappears off the menu! I’m a big lover of seafood dishes anyway, but this was a particular treat and I loved the sea bass – one of my favourite fish – with the salsa verde, it really enhanced the flavour, as did the delicious artichokes. It was so lovely to sit round with other bloggers who love food and local produce as much as I do, and how better to finish the evening than with a selection of the very finest local cheeses and chocolates?
The main event – pan fried sea bass
We had a fantastic talk by Sam Steggles of Fielding Cottage, a family business based in Honingham who create their very own goats cheese, meat and skin care products. We tried two types of delicious cheeses, the Norfolk Mardler and the Wensum White, and I have to say the creamier Wensum White was my favourite, with a texture rather reminiscent of Brie – one of my absolute favourite cheeses. This was followed by one of the creators behind Dolce Momento, a company with a passion for the tastes of Brazil who develop an exciting and varied range of gourmet brigadeiros, cakes and treats. The chocolates were gorgeous in appearance and you really could see why them were such a hit at weddings with such stunning presentation. And the tastes were truly out of this world, with an amazing chilli and cinnamon one, plus delicious milk and dark chocolate treats – all sweeter and gooier than the average ganache thanks to condensed milk, good taste and a lot of love. A perfect end to an amazing evening.
Thanks guys! Looking forward to the next event!
A huge thanks to the team at Jarrolds for inviting me along, I had the most amazing night and loved meeting all the other bloggers. I look forward to more events in the future, but in the meantime, you guys should all get yourselves to Norwich and check out this amazing hidden gem – have fun working your way through the menu and enjoy the fact that you are eating local and supporting local businesses. They’re much more important than eating out at yet another boring, soulless chain restaurant!
Have you eaten out at Jarrolds – what did you think? Will you be checking out the new menu at Benji’s?
Image by Andrew Smith
I write this with incredibly sore arms after starting a course of jabs ahead of next year’s travels, and I felt it was about time for another post about my plans. This one is about a question I’ve been asked a lot since making my decision and starting to plan my getaway for next year. It’s strange, because it doesn’t seem a big deal to me – just a natural choice, but it is a pretty huge decision to pack your life up, move to the other side of the world, give up your job and take a chance. It’s not something that comes easy to all of us, and for me, this decision was a long time coming. So, for those who are having those niggling thoughts, who catch themselves daydreaming about the life they wish they had, this post is all about how I made one of the biggest decisions of my life.
It happened over Christmas 2013. For the first time since finishing university, I had a full two weeks off work for Christmas and after just a week, I knew I didn’t want to go back. I’d had these thoughts in the back of my mind for a long time that my job was no longer what I wanted it to be, and it was just a case of working out if I wanted to move to a big city like London and start afresh, or whether to follow my dreams of travelling the world. This was more a daydreaming stage and I never thought I would actually make my travelling dreams a reality. I’d been stuck in a sort of limbo for the past few months, the previous summer had been amazing and I’d been so busy having fun that my job had become just that, a job. But when the summer drew to a close, I realised without all those fun distractions, I was a bit bored and wanted to escape.
Image by Dennis Skley
I don’t want to sound ungrateful, I love my job and it has given me huge opportunities and a great basis for a career, but it had become stale for me after three years of working in the same office and I was ready for a change. I plodded on, not really thinking about it as other distractions popped up, but that voice in the back of my head grew louder and louder. My relationship was going through a bit of a rough patch and so I threw myself into a family Christmas and loved every second. But early January, something happened. Something that I’m still not really ready to talk about, but it suddenly threw everything into place for me. Something snapped inside of me and I realised that there was nothing holding me to my town, that actually, at that point, there was more driving me away than pinning me down. You’ve all had those moments when life gets a bit much and you have to get away? Well I couldn’t escape it all, so I started to plan and I made a decision. I decided to travel.
You might worry I was running away, but actually my problems at the time were just a catalyst for something much bigger that was already in motion. This was the answer to my melancholy, to my feelings of being trapped inside my own body. I told a few people, close friends and family about my decision, but I’m not sure they really took me seriously, they just thought I had an idea but wouldn’t actually end up going. Of course there are many who make the plans and never end up going, many who talk about it but never find the courage to up sticks and travel. But I was determined. So what did I do?
Image by Daniel Panev
It was as easy as that, once I snapped everything just started to slot into place and suddenly it all made sense. I felt so free to have made the choice and to have a plan, a goal to work towards and that has seen me through the last nine months where I have been saving and working. I had several commitments that meant I couldn’t leave any earlier in the year, which was hard for me for a while as circumstances had me wanting to up and leave straight away. But I’m glad I waited as I wouldn’t have been in the right mindset to really enjoy my travels at that point. Plus the time I’ve had has given me the chance to save at a realistic rate, and to enjoy spending time with all my loved ones before leaving, which makes me feel less guilty in case I decide to stay longer.
For me it was slightly easier as I was living with my parents, which meant I had no ties to a mortgage or home, plus I was working in a job that I had already milked clean of all experiences and potential.
I totally understand for others it might be more complicated, but I genuinely believe that making the initial decision to jump is the hardest part and after that it all starts to fall into place.
What sparked your decision to give up life as you knew it and travel? Did you have a similar experience to me?
My family and I on holiday in Mauritius, where my parents married
I was nominated by the lovely Lauren Blenkinsop of Tea and Post, a travel and lifestyle blog, to blog about the five cities I would most like to return to as part of Booked.net – Top Destinations To Go There. As someone whose whole life seems to be dedicated to making travel plans and saving hard for a number of adventures I have planned for next year, this is a great chance for me to reminisce over some previously amazing holidays and trips I have had with family and friends. I’ve been lucky enough to go on a number of amazing holidays and to travel a lot in my life, unfortunately I also have a pretty adventurous heart that tends to fall in love with most places I visit which means I always want to go back for more. Like Lauren, I never feel like I get enough time to really explore a place and always leave wanting more…
Port Louis, Mauritius
On my dad’s side, my family come from Mauritius, and sadly because of the cost and the time needed for a holiday there, I have only been able to visit twice in my life. I love the country, its smells, colour, music and culture. I loved visiting the markets, walking the streets and visiting the temples in Port Louis, where my father was born, and where my family still live. To me, the country is summed up in a hot afternoon spent in my grandmother’s yard eating mangoes picked fresh by my uncle from the overhanging trees, while my aunt and grandmother are cooking up a goat curry ready for when the whole family comes round that night for lots of chat and music.
Brussels, Belgium
Image by Matthias Ripp
For my 18th birthday, my mum and I celebrated with a weekend away in Brussels together. We wanted to do something special and this was a great excuse to get away, spend some time together before I went off to university, and to eat lots of amazing food! The city is stunning, packed full of culture and amazing architecture. We spent the days walking endlessly around the city, shopping, and dining in gorgeous little restaurants run by families and full of delicious food. Such a multicultural city, we could eat French food for breakfast, Greek for lunch and Italian for dinner – it was fabulous. And don’t get me started on the chocolate…
Valletta, Malta
A stunning city I visited while holidaying with the boyfriend in Mellieha a couple of summers ago. This city has such a long, rich history and we loved taking a trip to really experience a place that time seems to have forgotten. The buildings are stunning and I could look at them all day, in fact I did. I walked so much I felt like my feet would cave in, up and down the wonky streets, so full of character and old time magic. The churches and cathedral were beyond beautiful and you felt such a sense of peace walking through their silent rooms. I loved our day visit there but wished we had more time to explore at a slower pace, it would have been nice to spend more time exploring the culture.
New York, USA
Of course, New York has to be in there, I love the city so much and despite having been about four times now, I still feel like I have so much more to discover. There is something about New York that has captured my heart and I just feel addicted to the atmosphere, the excitement and the possibilities that come with a trip to the big city. I will never get bored of the city and will always happily go back, but I plan to wait a while until my next visit – perhaps a visit to some other US cities is in order – San Francisco anyone?
Rome, Italy
Image by RaSeLaSeD – Il Pinguino
Rome HAS to be on my list. I was lucky enough to go on a school trip to Italy, we travelled to Rome and did all the sights, then on to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. It was stunning, such a beautiful country, but I feel I was too young to really appreciate the incredible historical landmarks, the amazing food and the people. Plus being on a school trip meant what we had time to see was limited and filtered through schoolteachers. I actually heard of a job opportunity in Rome, working as a nanny for the children of the head of police, but sadly couldn’t go for it as I had already decided to go travelling at that point and was saving. Rome is a city I would truly love to live and work in so I could really experience and throw myself into it.
My nominations:
3. Tatty Travels
5. The World Wanderer
Where would you most like to return to on your travels? Which city holds some serious magic for you?
Booked.net – Top Destinations to Go There
As you read this, I’m packing and getting ready to go to the airport for a wedding in Ireland with the boyfriend’s family. I’m so unbelievably excited about this wedding, there has been one every autumn for the last few years, but this is the last one for a while and it’s a very special one. This wedding is taking us to a tiny island in the centre of Waterford, where the wedding will take place in a castle! I visited the castle last September and it was just beautiful, like something out of a fairytale, and covered in trailing red flowers. Looking at it, I half expected Rapunzel to lean out of the turrets and pour down her golden hair. We’re actually staying on the island in lodges as well so we won’t have far to stumble back to bed after the wedding, but in true Irish style, the celebrations will continue for three days of partying, drinking, eating and being very merry. So, this post is all about celebrating the 10 things I love the most about Ireland, and what has kept me going back every autumn for the last few years.
THE PEOPLE
Everyone I have met in Ireland has been friendly, welcoming and has gone out of their way to make you feel at home. I wouldn’t want to generalise but if you walk down the street in England, you will be met with more frowns and grumpy faces than you can cope with, but in Ireland, everyone has always been happy to see me and chat. Everyone I have ever met on my visits has been warm and kind, plus quick to help if you are lots of need a recommendation. Plus, THAT accent gets me every time.
THE LANDSCAPE
Ireland is a beautiful country with everything to offer, inland there are rolling hills and lush green fields full of cows and sheep. On the coast there are stunning beaches, cute seaside towns and choppy waves. So many towns look like time forgot them and they still hold that quaint appeal in the tiny churches and hole-in-the-wall pubs with warm fires and great music.
THE FOOD
You guys know by now, I love my food and anywhere that can promise me a good meal is going high up in my estimations. Well Ireland certainly delivers, and particularly at last year’s wedding where we had some amazing freshly caught seafood in the coastal town where we were staying, and had the gorgeous prime Irish beef as the main wedding meal. Yum. Looking forward to seeing what food we’ll get this time!
THE PARTIES
Every single time we go to an Irish wedding it is a pretty legendary night – the last one saw us partying with the bride to an epic soundtrack she had picked herself and downing beers until the sun came up – the bride and groom actually carried on and yet still beat us to breakfast! Another one we went to was pretty manic and ended up with me locked out of the hotel room and having to bunk in with some cousins! These events always involve a lot of booze, dancing and fun so I’m sure I’ll have some tales to tell after this one!
THE FAMILY
I really love getting to spend time with the boyfriend’s extended family – my family, although big, are spread across the globe and we don’t often see each other. When we do, we are not particularly close, so it is lovely to spend time with a family who make such an effort to get together and to celebrate even the tiniest occasions. It is a lovely thing to be a part of and they do make me a big part of it. At this wedding, a member of the family will be travelling from South Africa to ordain the ceremony, and there are lots of others travelling from America.
THE HOLIDAY
As you guys know, I’ve been working constantly for a long time now and have been saving hard for backpacking in a few months, I haven’t really had a proper break because all my holiday time has been spent at festivals which are just as crazy! So this will be a nice relaxing break as well, a chance to regroup and get away from work for a bit. I have long needed a break – that’s for sure! Ireland is the perfect place for a break because although you feel a million miles away from home, it is super convenient to get to.
THE ACTIVITIES
Every time I’ve visited Ireland, we’ve had no end of fun things to do, see and try. Previously we’ve had big family meals, gone walking around the coast, watched family take part in a 10k run, taken the kids to the funfair, visited a monastery and family graves, and even gone to the races! This time, there is a big golfing game to join in and, obviously the wedding, but we also have a huge family do the day after at a well-known pub, which will give us lots of time to spend together. There’s so much to do!
Have you been to Ireland? What did you think of the country and what has made it a special place for you?
Being a journalist hasn’t given some people the best reputation in the last couple of years, but that doesn’t mean that journalism is a bad career choice. If anything, I say that journalism has opened countless doors for me and has given me some awesome opportunities over the last few years. There are lots of amazing things about the job – you get to work with people which is perfect for social butterflies like myself, you get the chance to hear amazing stories first-hand and have the privilege of sharing them with the world, the trust that your readers and those sharing their stories place in you. There are a lot of tougher sides of the job as well, like having to write a tribute to one of your former best friends after a horrible accident, but that is why I think it is important to enjoy the good parts.
I know some don’t agree with getting freebies through journalism, but this is one of my favourite parts of the job – the privilege and extras that come with it. Journalism opens you up to a world of opportunities that you would never have had otherwise, and that is something I love about it.I know a fair few journalists who never really take advantage of the extras in the job, which personally I think is a shame considering how low paid so many journalists are. I know some won’t agree, but I tend to look at it as the tips a waitress would get. This is just a bonus to the job and, as a bit of a blagger, I don’t mind asking – I always figure if you don’t ask you don’t get. Which is clear from how many amazing things I have been lucky enough to gain – I always ask the question. So what have been my best blags and the top experiences my job has given me?
Of course, we’re not all in it for the freebies, we do it for the love of the job and a passion for reporting news. But, being a journalist is a stressful job with constant deadlines, you work hard and if opportunities come up I don’t think we should be afraid to snap them up. Much like bloggers accepting gifts of review products. There’s plenty more I haven’t listed – so budding journalists, if anyone tells you that you are making a mistake with your career – why not ask them if their job gives them the chance to do all of these amazing things?
What’s the best freebie you’ve ever had through work? Are you thinking about going into journalism?
I know, I know guys, I’ve got to stop talking about food. I don’t know about you lot but I’m making myself hungry! This is a review of a fantastic restaurant I discovered when I went to Norwich a few weeks ago with the boyfriend. We have a bit of a obsession with discovering new places to eat and although we find some pretty delicious places, we always try to stop ourselves from revisiting places when there are so many more we have yet to try. I did a bit of research into local restaurants ahead of our trip, to make sure we had a couple of restaurants up our sleeve if we had time to try somewhere new and amazingly we managed to fit two restaurants into one weekend! These ones were so good, I just couldn’t resist sharing them with you, so here is my review of the first.
We started off on the Saturday night be heading to Pinocchios Restaurant on St Benedicts Street. This Mediterranean brasserie is in the heart of the city and is easy to find, with convenient free parking right outside. Best of all, it is an independent restaurant, which I always try and stick to just to support local retailers rather than bigger chains. Of course, this isn’t always possible, but I think it is something we should all aim to do. From the outside, the restaurant is warm, inviting and really cute – it has the old-fashioned charm of a Lady-and-the-Tramp-style Italian but with a more diverse menu that incorporates some delicious dishes. The restaurant is very spacious so perfect for a romantic dinner for two or a large group for a birthday, there were several different groups in there when we were eating with plenty of room for all of us. The staff were attentive and looked after us well, bringing us pepper and drinks as we needed them, but leaving us alone to enjoy our food. The restaurant also had a lovely upstairs area with more seating.
We were in the mood for some comfort food and this was the perfect place to enjoy delicious and tasty dishes reminiscent of a home-cooked Italian, but with some slightly different and more exotic flavours. To start, we shared squid in tempura batter with aioli and salad, and a peach and Italian cheese bruschetta with balsamic and salad. Both were gorgeous dishes and complemented each other well, they made a great combination and really allowed us to try a mix of flavours. The aioli was delicious and really added something new to the squid dish which I had tried previously in other restaurants, it was great to see them putting a different spin on the dish. The bruschetta was delicious, it wasn’t something I would have usually ordered, but I fancied trying something unusual and I loved the combination of balsamic and peach, they worked really well together.
For mains, I had a gorgeous carbonara – not usually a dish I would order, in fact it was the first time I had ever eaten it out, but I was just in the mood for a creamy pasta with plenty of flavour. It more than lived up to my expectations and I ate every scrap of the bowl. The portions were of a healthy size, much better than when you go to a restaurant and have three pieces of ravioli brought out to you. But most importantly, the sauce was delicious, it really combined the cream with the bacon well and with a light dusting of pepper it was pretty perfect. Mark had a parpadelle pasta with lamb in a tomato sauce. His was absolutely delicious, the lamb added a hearty flavour while the tomato kept it fresh and light, he loved the dish and I enjoyed a taste as well.
We had a lovely meal, accompanied by some gorgeous wine and sadly couldn’t manage desserts. But I would really recommend this restaurant to anybody, whether you are after a romantic candlelit meal for two, a group meal or a big party, their menu has something for everyone and their service is faultless. I really enjoyed my evening with them and was even more impressed by the prices, if you are on a bit of a budget, this is a great restaurant for you. I genuinely cannot understand why anyone would rather go to the Pizza Express that is further up the street than dine in an independent, great priced and fantastic little restaurant like Pinocchios!
Have you eaten at Pinocchios – what was your meal like? Have you any other Norwich restaurant recommendations?
Lynn News photo
My apologies for the delay, but as you guys have probably seen of late, I have blog posts coming out of my ears! I seem to have all these amazing posts running around my head, barely the time to write them and certainly not enough time to post them. I would post every day on my blog if I had the time to maintain this, but sadly working four jobs does detract from the amount of time I can spend on this. So sometimes there are a few posts that I put on hold, just so I can make sure I do them justice when it comes to writing them up to share with you guys. A few weeks ago, I had a fantastic girl date with one of my best friends and in our usual style, we decided to go all out and treat ourselves. Although we speak pretty much every day, it had been a while since we had the opportunity to really catch up after we had been working lots and away at festivals – we’re both pretty busy bees! But that’s the great thing about our friendship, although we are both always busy as anything, neither one of us ever takes it personally when the other can’t make it along to something. We always know that when we do finally get a chance to catch up, that we will more than make-up for it.
We headed to one of the newer restaurants in King’s Lynn, Marriotts Warehouse, for dinner – a real treat we had both been excitedly awaiting as neither of us had tried it out yet. I had actually been there previously for a Christmas meal with friends, and the food was incredible, but it was a completely different menu to usual, so I considered myself a newbie to the restaurant. As you guys will know by now, I’m a bit of a foodie and I love going out to eat, but in King’s Lynn we are sometimes a bit lacking in different types of restaurants – we have loads of Indian, Chinese and Italian restaurants, but very little else and it was great to go to a real bistro-style restaurant. After all of the local restaurants I have been to, I have yet to find another that serves the same type of food as Marriott’s.
The restaurant itself is in a fabulous place along the quayside, the old warehouse building overlooks the water and at sunset provides a stunning view. The outside seating area has seen various new additions of more benches, seats and plants which, although a little busy, was a lovely place to sit out in the sunshine with a glass of wine, as Vikki was doing when I arrived. Inside, the building is softly lit and has a cosy feel, with lots of wood panelling, beams and a huge wooden bar. The restaurant has a great atmosphere because although there are plenty of places to sit, it is not over-filled with tables so it is never too loud and voices don’t echo, even when it is busy. They have plenty of staff, perhaps too many considering the volume of tables, but they give a very personal service and are on hand to cater to your every need.The food itself is outstanding. I don’t really know how to describe it beyond that. The flavour combinations are fabulous and in some cases very unusual, they use local produce and it is all presented beautifully.
We shared the Marriott’s Sharing Platter to start, which had a delicious combination of feta stuffed peppers, potato and chorizo salad, jerk chicken skewers, minted yoghurt dip and spicy jerk sauce, goat’s cheese, mushroom and sun-dried tomato bruschetta, chicken liver pate with malted bread. Wow, it may have sounded over-ambitious, but we finished everything and it even shut us up for a few minutes because everything was so tasty. It was the perfect accompaniment to a glass of Pinot Grigio and a great conversation. I always love the sharing platters when out with friends because it is such a lovely tradition to share a meal and I love the mezze-style of eating lots of little bits of bigger dishes – as you can imagine I absolutely love tapas!
For mains, we actually both went for the same dish because it sounded so tasty! We had the pan-fried duck breast served with chocolate and chilli sauce, potato rosti, braised red cabbage and caramelised oranges, and we ordered some onion rings on the side. I chose the duck because I have never really had duck out in a restaurant and I was dying to try it, my main experiences of duck are having it in pancakes as part of a Chinese. The richness of the meat really appealed to me as a big lover of venison, and I loved the idea of chocolate and chilli sauce with red cabbage. It was absolutely delicious and I struggled to keep chatting because it was so damn tasty. I loved the combination of the flavours, particularly because I would never think to have a chocolate and chilli sauce with meat, or to combine it with oranges – but it really worked and it is making my mouth water even now to remember the dish.
The whole meal was fantastic and I can’t recommend this restaurant enough, the whole venture was a brilliant idea and I’m so pleased it is paying off for the guys behind it all. Particularly after they suffered so much with flooding and even a fire earlier this year. I have heard nothing but good things about Marriotts and I always think that is the mark of a good restaurant, not what you read on websites by people who have had a free meal and rate it, but people like me who just love the food and genuinely want others to share the experience, and those who can’t stop raving about a place. Marriotts is easily one of my favourite restaurants in Lynn and I will definitely be going back again to try more on the menu!
Have you been to Marriott’s Warehouse? What was your favourite dish?
Sometimes university isn’t quite what you expected – perhaps you don’t make the friends you thought you would, or your accommodation isn’t the best. Or sometimes it all works out and you have the best university experience possible with great friends, a fantastic course and the best accommodation going. It can all turn out very differently depending on where you are, who you meet and how you do things – but one thing that can hit all of us at times is homesickness. Even the strongest, most independent individual can feel homesick at times and just want to catch the first train home to mum and their own bed. When Freshers Flu strikes, we all just want to curl up in a ball under the duvet and have our mum bring us chicken soup – so how do we deal with this when mum is hundreds of miles away?
Here’s my top tips for combating homesickness while at university:
What helped ease your homesickness the most? Have you got any other top tips to share?
I’ve read a lot of panicked Facebook and Twitter posts in the last week – fears about starting university in the coming weeks, not knowing what to expect as a Fresher, and the biggest worry of all seems to be what to pack and take with you. As someone who has graduated, but who still remembers her first day at university as clear as a whistle, I figured it was only right to give a little extra help to the graduates of tomorrow, by helping them work out what they need to take with them. Here’s my must-haves list:
Most of all just remember to have fun, enjoy it, throw yourself into every moment, experience and night out – even if you don’t drink, it is a great way to meet people in those first few weeks when everyone will be out every night. Treat every person you meet like your new best friend – but you may well have a completely different group of friends by second year so don’t worry if you don’t really connect with some people.
What are your biggest fears about university? Has this list helped with your packing?
My Facebook is littered with students who are starting to get excited about going back to uni, some who are just starting and those, like myself, who wish we could go back, if only for one awesome night. The countdown is starting, and after the bank holiday, there really isn’t long to go until the universities once again open their doors to the madness. Regular readers will know that I had a pretty awesome time at university, made some amazing friends and loved every second of studying – even those all-nighters in the library and the early starts! And I have to say, that although by the time I left I was rather more excited to get out in the world and start working, I would always love to go back and experience it all again – I wouldn’t do a single thing differently and would love every second.
One of the things I would particularly like the chance to experience again is living in such close quarters with all of my fabulous university friends. We had a group of around seven of us who spent most of our waking moments together throughout first and second year. By third year, we were spread across two houses just a few minutes walk from each other and some of us were even on the same courses! It was brilliant, especially for someone who previously had mainly boy mates to experience being surrounded by so many like-minded girls who (sorry to quote Cyndi Lauper but…) “just wanna have fun!” We all had the same priorities, we all wanted to study hard and do well, but made sure we had plenty of time for lots of fun as well – these are the girls who would be up all hours studying and revising with me. But they are also the girls I was out pretty much every night with, the ones who came on Nando’s dates with me and the ones who came round for pizza and X Factor nights.
It was always great to have a group of so many because you could always guarantee that no matter what you wanted to do, there was someone who was free to come along with you, there was always someone to get drunk with and there was always someone who could help you when you got stuck on coursework. It always really helped to have that support network when you were struggling because there was always someone around who could proofread your essays, test you before exams and to make sure you revise with promises of cocktails as a reward. Each summer, when we were all torn apart for three or four months, and now between each reunion I’m always thinking about all the silly and fun things I miss about my beauties. Trust me there are quite a few, but the things I miss most are the qualities that make this friendship and sets it apart from other friendships I share.
20 Things I Miss About My University Girls:
So what do you miss the most about your university mates when you’re on summer break, or since finishing? Why not share below and add to the list?
It’s been just under six months since my last money saving post and I thought it was about time to update you all on my progress. As you will probably all know by now, I have huge plans for next year to finally follow my heart and travel across South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand all by myself. I’m a crazy mix of scared and excited, but I’m not letting myself get too far ahead at the moment as I have so much saving and organising left to do before I can really dive into the whole experience. Of course, as you can imagine, the more money I have saved away, the better and easier the experience will flow, and, even more importantly, the longer I can relax and enjoy the trip before needing to find work. This is my main priority because the biggest point of the trip is to give myself some well deserved time off from working after having some quite high stress jobs and working since I was 14-years-old. I want some time to myself to really appreciate life and to figure out what my next move will be – the best way for me to do that is to take myself away from all routine and everything that makes life easy.
In my last post, back in February, unfortunately I didn’t say how much I had saved at that point but from my vague memory I don’t think it was very much. I now have saved almost £6,000, not including my savings from this month’s wages and a further £2,000 that I have been saving through a monthly savings plan I set up with my mum. There is also a lot of money in my eBay/Paypal accounts waiting to be claimed from selling lots of my clothes. I’m feeling pretty proud of all that considering that I actually get paid less than anyone I know and with all the festivals and events I have been covering, I have still been able to clock up so much without any other part of my social life suffering. It just shows you that it really is possible to save and still have a life at the same time – it just takes a bit of creativity, a lot of hard work and a new attitude to money.
With the big plans I laid out for money saving back in February came a to-do list and I can now say that I have ticked off a fair few things from my list, and some more that weren’t even listed! I have switched my phone contract and now pay £11 – saving around £300 in the year. I have made a few hundred pounds off selling clothes on eBay and I haven’t even really been trying – I plan to sell a lot more when it gets to autumn and I have more time. I haven’t been spending very much money on nights out at home, in fact I just haven’t been on any! I’ve saved myself for special occasions like a friend’s birthday in London or a university reunion, and of course the festivals. I have made it clear to friends that I can’t afford to do much while the festivals are going on and am doing well at budgeting for them and making sure I spend within my limited budget. With all the festivals I have scored free tickets through my work at This Festival Feeling – trust me it is well deserved as I do a lot of work for them! This means all I have to pay for is travel, food and drink when I am at them. Asking for money as birthday presents meant I was able to fund my iPad Mini and new camera thanks to a combination of savings and gifts so I am well equipped for my travels and just need a backpack. I’m still entering all those competitions and live in hope of a big win, but no luck as yet.
And as I mentioned, I was looking for extra work back in February but had no luck on the copywriting front – although I’m not sure I could spend much more time each week writing. Instead, I have secured a new job at a local pub where I will be waitressing and working on the bar for a couple of nights a week once the festivals are over. I have also been babysitting for a friend one evening a week – something which is a wonderful experience for me, a great chance for me to spend time with the little cutie and to earn a bit of extra cash. I’m also treating both jobs as great opportunities to get some more recent experience in both fields – all my previous shop work and waitressing experience dates back years – which will only be helpful when it comes to job-hunting on my travels. As much as I hope and dream of finding a more permanent job out there either in journalism or writing, I know that realistically, I am more likely to find something quickly in waitressing, bar work or as a nanny. Having recent work on my CV for each will work in my favour and hopefully put me above the rest of the applicants while helping me earn some cash to get there.
I’ll be honest and say I’m bloody exhausted and I’m actually ill as I write this for the first time in months – I reckon it must be because I’m tired, but I refuse to give up and give in. Just another month or two until festival season finishes, then I will have lots more time to work extra hours and will be freer at weekends. Being less busy means I will be able to save twice as much from my wages each month. Everything around us is only temporary and that is what I am keeping in mind – as tired as I am at the moment, I have an end game and a goal and will do whatever it takes to get there. As far as I’m concerned, determination has got me this far and that will be what gets me there. Bring it on!
Have you got any suggestions for other ways in which I can earn extra cash or cut back slightly more? All suggestions welcome!
All any of us really want is to live a stress free life. But the question is – how can we achieve this? While there will always be things beyond our control, as humans, we have to learn to stop self-sabotaging. So many of our daily stresses are caused by our own toxic behaviours learned over a lifetime of watching others make the same mistakes. It’s crazy the unlearning we have to do as we go through life. Trying to re-educate ourselves about the things society has taught us. Everything from relationships and friendships, to setting boundaries and co-dependence, to our relationships with food and exercise. So many of the habits we pick up as we grow are actually poisonous for our mental health.
This is nobody’s fault, so don’t go blaming the people who raised you. After all, they’re just as caught up in it as you are. We’re all in the midst of the process of unlearning and changing behaviours. It’s a minefield and just as you think you’ve got a handle on one problem, often another will pop up to remind you how imperfect you are. But if anything, that’s one of the things I find most beautiful about humankind – we are all a work in progress. As long as we are willing to do the work, there is always a hope that we will reach the next level of happiness and consciousness.
Just stop, take a second to clear your mind and empty your thoughts. Now try and maintain that for 10 minutes. Just see how many times your mind starts to drift and think about things again. Now add into that all the hours you spend daily overthinking, worrying, obsessing, feeling guilty, feeling like you’re not doing enough, regretting, questioning… This constant buzz of noise and stress is going on in your mind every second of every day. Exhausting right? Think of it like a radio that’s blaring out static at top volume all day long while you’re trying to go about your day. Imagine if I told you all that noise could be reduced to a light hum – and it all depends on you.
Think about how much happier, calmer and more in control you would feel without all that noise. You would be free to listen to something else, to focus on other things and to finally be your best self. Imagine all that you could achieve if you didn’t have that constant buzz ringing in your ears. Clear thoughts = happy mind and stress free life. Want to know how you can achieve this? Read on…
The truth is, you don’t have to do this. You can go through your whole life lacking in self-awareness – many people do. But the problem is that when we have toxic traits, we tend to keep attracting toxic people and toxic situations into our lives. For example – many people will have various toxic relationships, whether they are co-dependent, controlling or even abusive. Of course it is never acceptable for someone to be abusive towards you. But if there is one thing I’ve learned from my own experiences of domestic violence. It’s that we may without even realising have toxic traits that brought us into contact with an abusive person in the first place.
One thing I really learned from my previous relationships was that my always seeing the best in people and trying to fix everything, is actually toxic. It’s a trait that means I often ignore red flags and forget to set boundaries and stick to them. If you’re someone who often feels stressed or lacking control of their life. It’s possible that your reactions to situations are sabotaging you. Dealing with them head on by identifying and changing your behaviours could be the key to a stress free life.
This is a huge one that so many of us are guilty of, including myself. It doesn’t mean that you’re a bad person, it just means that you’re willing to invest too much of yourself into someone who doesn’t want to change. The big problem with this? Often you lose yourself in the process and don’t realise until too late that you can’t change them. I’m a big believer in the cup idea – that you need to make sure all your own needs are met and that your cup is full, before you can take care of anyone else. Don’t be afraid to set boundaries – it doesn’t mean you will lose people. If you do, it’s because they were gaining something from you when you didn’t have boundaries. This is not the kind of friendship or relationship you want for a stress free life.
Do you feel like you’re constantly waiting for your life to start? That you’re waiting for the day you can start living your best life? Perhaps you tell yourself that you can start having fun when you lose X amount of weight, or find a boyfriend, or earn X amount of money. Well the truth is, that day will never come – if you constantly wait to start living, you will always find an excuse not to get started, Living vicariously through the lives of your favourite Instagrammer or always wishing you were that gal in the movie is no way to live. Instead of always looking to others to see how much of a great life they lead. Realise that what is portrayed on social media is a tiny, and very curated peek into the life of another. It is not the full picture and while it’s great to find inspiration in others, it shouldn’t be a replacement for you living your own best life.
This is one that can have the most dangerous impact on our mental health and our future. We are so constantly bombarded by the media and society ideas that we need to be in a relationship to be happy. Or that we need to have children to complete us. Even that we need to be skinny in order to be a decent human being – that our worth is decided by our weight and appearance. No wonder we’re so messed up and confused – no wonder it’s so hard to have a stress free life. But somewhere in all of this is that little voice in the back of our head just screaming to be heard. We need to learn to strip back the noise, to connect with ourselves more and to trust our gut instincts in order to live a stress free life and avoid bad situations.
Do you like yourself? Be honest. Can say you really like the person you are, without attaching anything to it? – “but i wish I had longer legs” or “but I wish I had a better job” or “but I wish I was more like…”. If the answer is no – then you have more work to do. That isn’t a bad thing – we’re all a work in progress and we’re all at different stages. It’s a growth process and for some it’s slower than others, some never even get there. But the first step towards growth is realising where you’re going wrong and what you need to work on. The next step, is implementing this in your daily life with small changes that make a big difference if you are consistent. If you want a stress free life, this is an important stage of reaching that goal.
You know how you feel so much more angsty when your home is a mess and your life is crazy busy? Well, letting this clutter build up can have a dramatic effect on your mental health – whether it’s emotional or physical. I’m definitely someone who hates having a messy home or space – I have to have a huge clear out and I like to live as minimally as possible. It makes a big difference to make your home a place you enjoy being, a place where you can truly relax and unwind. Piles of dirty laundry, dust and washing up are not conducive to a relaxing environment. So invest in your space by sparing time to clean and clear it, even the process is soothing for your mind. Much like with physical clutter, it can be easy to let emotional clutter build up if we don’t spare the time to deal with our emotions. This can cause stress and anxiety, and can really affect our day to day life.
Always remember that you are no different to a dog – you need to be fed, watered and get enough sleep in order to be happy. And a daily walk certainly helps to keep your mental health in good order. It’s crazy how easy it is to forget these basic things when we’re stressed or overwhelmed. I know that food is always the first thing to go for me – if I’m stressed out I just forget to eat. Then that in turn affects my sleep and undoes all my good practices.
We’ve all done this at one time or another – some of us repeatedly allow these people into our lives. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a one-time or repeat offender, the goal is the same. If you want to live a stress free life, you need to get comfortable setting boundaries and cutting people out if they are not adding to your life.
Boundaries are vital to a stress free life and they’re something that I’ve learned a lot about in the last few years. Sadly with both friends and partners, I’ve found that I’ve had to assert my own need for space from their toxicity by cutting them out of my life. The truth is, some people are just poisonous because they cannot reach a level of self-awareness where they can see the damage they are doing to themselves and others. These are the people who will never grow and these are the ones you cannot change. The change has to come from within you, and you need to be the one to set the boundary otherwise they will take and take until you have nothing left.
It might be that boyfriend who cheated, or it might be a “friend” who pinched your style or an idea for work. It could be over something big or small – but for some reason that anger remains as fresh today as it was when the incident happened. Holding on to grudges and anger is sometimes just human nature – but it can have an unhealthy effect on us and turn us into bitter, negative people. Yes it’s okay to be angry if someone takes advantage or hurts you in some way. But feel it in the moment, and then try your best to deal with the emotions so that you can let go of your anger. Holding grudges affects no-one but you. All the energy you pour into being mad, is energy you waste that could be spent on living your stress free life and exploring your own creativity. It’s entirely possible to cut people off and move on, without holding a grudge.
This one is rife in our society. I hear it daily – people saying that they’re being “good” and exercising, or that they better be good and not eat cake. Much the same as the word “productivity” – these words are splashed around to make us place morals on simple things in life. We equate eating treats, not exercising and taking a break with morally wrong decisions. While eating salad, exercising all the time and working too hard is considered the pinnacle of what it means to be “good” It’s why so many of us struggle to take time off and relax. We have anxiety at the thought of slowing down and just “being” because we’ve always been told that “to do” is morally good.
A lot of the time this is caused by lacking in self-worth and because a person doesn’t accept who they truly are. If you want to live a stress free life, you need to learn to set boundaries and to realise your own value. Whether this is in your family, at work, in a relationship or a friendship group. If you cannot see your value, why should anyone else? It all starts with you – when you start asking for more, you start getting more. If you always settle back into old patterns, if you always lack in self-confidence or don’t feel happy in your life, you will never reach the next level. So many settle for less because they are afraid to be alone with themselves – but this is where the real work begins. Don’t shy away from it.
Perhaps you don’t have the flash car, or the high paying job, or the fancy house. Do you notice how a lot of the time when we look at what our lives are missing we focus on material possessions? This is the product of living in a capitalist society where we are constantly bombarded with ideas that we need to buy things to be happy and live a stress free life. It couldn’t be further from the truth. Buying that new top or that new mascara might bring you an instant buzz of excitement and happiness – but how long does that last? Instead of looking at what your life is missing. Focus on what you have and how lucky you truly are. Stop aiming for material goals and instead invest your money and your time into experiences and people who bring joy into your life.
It can be so easy to see the negative in every situation. But honestly? Everyone gets sick of people who complain all the time – including the people complaining! You’re not helping yourself to live a stress free life and you’re driving people away. If you always look for the negatives, it is all you will see. Instead, change your perceptions of your reality, and you will change your reality. Focus on the good, kind and wonderful people in this world. Focus on spreading joy and light, and it will be returned to you. If all you put out is negativity, that is all you will get in return.
Imagine if all the time you spent worrying and imagining all the ways things could go wrong, you suddenly had free. What could you achieve? What would you have time for? The possibilities are endless. It can be all too easy to get caught up in anxious thoughts and stresses instead of aiming for that stress free life. But the less you allow yourself to get caught up in these spirals, the more time you have free to invest in yourself and your future.
No-one is perfect. Everyone has flaws and it’s those flaws that make us unique and beautiful in our own way. Have you ever noticed how even someone who is less attractive physically can be absolutely magnetic? It comes down to their confidence and happiness. Instead of getting lost in their own self-destructive thoughts of what is wrong with their appearance. They focus on what they love about themselves and truly accepting who they are. They radiate positivity and love, and the joy shines out of their face like sunbeams – as Roald Dahl would say. Living a stress free life is often just about acceptance of what you can’t change and this is key here.
This used to be one of my worst habits and was a really hard one to break. I’m still working on it, but forcing myself to slow down was one of the best things I ever did. We live in a very work/money drive society but often this attitude towards work and being “busy” all the time impacts our mental health. Stepping back towards a stress free life means slowing down and really taking time for yourself. As I mentioned before, we humans need balance and it’s not feasible to be working every hour of every day. This is how you end up burning out and crashing. This is why a lot of people suffer breakdowns, because they simply push themselves too hard. If you want to lower your stress levels, slowing down and cutting back might be an important part of this.
I’ve been reading The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle, and it is the perfect book for centring you and making you realise what is important. So many of our stresses and worries come from forgetting the present moment and living either in the past or future. Instead of being angry at what happened or worrying about what might be – we need to get back to the present moment. Focusing on the here and now means tackling any problems is much more achievable and we are more likely to do it. How are we feeling? Are we thirsty? Okay so we get a drink. Are we tired? Okay so we sleep. Staying present reverts us to following our instincts and focusing inward.
We humans love to revel in misery and to spiral in insecurity. But the truth is, you have complete control over this process. You know when you have a bad break up and you sit on the sofa and cry, eat junk food and cut yourself off from people? Well allowing yourself to behave like this long-term is just feeding this negative mindset that you cannot cope without the person. Forcing yourself to get up, go to the gym, eat well and do things that make you feel good – this fills you with positivity that allows you to get over a person faster. But we don’t always do what is good for us, or what will give us a stress free life. Whether your insecurity is over infidelity, over your big bum, over your lack of qualifications… Stop feeding this insecurities by telling yourself lies and negativity.
We’re all social beings and it’s natural to care what other people think – but it’s important to not let this take over. Also, it’s vital that you ask yourself whether you are caring about what the right people think about your choices. Not everyone’s opinions on your life are valid and many can be harmful. If you value people for their experience and they are respectful at sharing them with you – it can be great to care what these people think. However, if you care just because these people are “popular” or “cool” then you really need to assess whether you care for the right reasons. If you want a stress free life, these people may no longer be welcome in your life.
While we should always focus on the present moment, that doesn’t stop us from setting goals for the future that we can action today. But the problem is that so many of us are living in the past worries and stresses that we can’t look forwards. If you’re struggling to imagine your future, perhaps you are spending too much time in the past. Sometimes we just have to step back from our thoughts and get some perspective. Why worry about things that have already happened when you could invest that time and energy in you?
Which toxic traits are you tackling? Which of these are you most guilty of? How have you tackled your own toxic habits to help change your future?
