The Linkables

The best news of the week: India bans animal testing!!!!

Why naming welfare claiments is a bad idea

10 things you should know about food bloggers  (or why you should think twice about eating out with us)

Please keep Instagramming your perfect life 

Layered Oreo & Nutella Popsicles

I reckon one of my American readers should post this 'donut' ring across to me (or the watermelon one, or the snake one)

My new favourite thing: how they blog.

How to grill pizza dough.

This is how easy it is to make your own almond milk.

I am British and really do love a good queue. In fact I really do get quite appalled by the lack of it whilst abroad!

Honestly WTF is a new favourite of mine.

If you're big in wind power then there's a new certification for products produced with more than 75% wind power.

21 actors who almost got the part. (I can't even fathom that Patrick Verona was almost played by someone other than Heath Ledger. Just can't.)

What the voices of Disney characters look like.

I don't know how I got this far in life without knowing this: how to wrap a burrito

Watermelon Soda Float

If you're USA-ing it this summer (or are American anyway): The 10 best farmers' markets in America.

Matilda (or, you know, the girl who played Matilda) has written about why child stars go crazy.

How much does my every day face cost?

I'm not really a huge make-up person so have always refrained from doing these types of posts because I didn't think there would be a particularly shocking price tag for my daily make-up (I can however spend hours getting ready for a special occasion). However the pieces of make-up I do wear are 'premium' so maybe this could actually be quite interesting.

Above is a nice wee family portrait of my daily make-up. As you may know the high percentage of Arbonne make-up is due to me being an Arbonne Consultant so I get a 35% discount so the high price tag is removed slightly for me :P

Arbonne Primer - £16.90 (£26 normally)

Arbonne Foundation in Alabaster - £21 (£31 normally)

Arbonne Foundation in Soft Blush -  £21 (£31 normally)

Illamasqua Concealer in 210 - £13 

B. Under eye concealer in light - £5.32 *

Arbonne blusher in Apricot - £13 (normally £20)

Soap & Glory supercat eyeliner - £6.00

Hd Brows (may or may not be cruelty-free - they ignored my e-mail) - circa £17 (I got mine in a Glossy box)

No7 mascara (not pictured because I'm a pleb) - £11.00 (I have a 'gift' sample though)

Total = £171.32 (though I paid £92.90)

So yep, even the simplest everyday face can add up! But one of the reasons I prefer high end make-up as it does so much longer! I have already owned that HD brows pallette years and some other products have been going months and don't look close to running soon. 

Lots of premium make-up love!

Bulgar wheat avocado wraps

I've seen quite a few fish taco recipes going about (such and Gillian's and Rose's) but even though they look mega tasty there are, well, not quite my thing. But I've become quite the master of adapting meat recipes to fit a veggie diet. I'd usually go for chunky veggies or kidney beans to replace meat but because I need something that could be wrapped up, and also summery, I opted for bulgar wheat. Yes, I see your raised eyebrow as you question what this is (even the spell check is asking questions). You can find bulgar wheat in the cous cous area of Tesco (if you really don't want to try a new food, then cous cous would also work) along with the dried fruit (essentially the mega healthy vegan section). Before you knock this food before trying it it is brilliant at soaking up flavours. 

The same goes for avocados, which seem a popular choice for people to turn their noses up at. Avocados are full of good fat (the type of fat your body needs - and they're a super food, dontyouknow) and that helps this feel super greasy but healthy at the same time. This is hangover food. 

Anyway, on to the recipe!

You will need:
four tablespoons bulgar wheat
one vegetable stock cube
a few teaspoons mix of paprika and cayenne pepper
one avocado
half a red onion - chopped
four cherry tomatoes - quartered
one small can of pineapples chunks drained ('small can' seems standard in the UK - sorry if you're international)
one tablespoon coriander (can add more if you're a fan - I'm not :p)
some lettuce leaves (you can prepare your own or buy the pre-made bag like I did)
some cucumber, chopped
mayola to taste (or mayonnaise, whatever)
tortilla warps

Method:
1. Add the crumbled stock cube and your spice mix of cayenne and paprika to a pan of boiling water. Add the bulgar wheat and simmer for 5-7 minutes (or more you can't accidentally 'over-do' bulgar wheat)
2. Peel the avocado and mash it up in a bowl until it is no longer solid but still lumpy
3. Add your chopped onions, then cherry tomatoes, the very well drained pineapple chunks and then the coriander. Then mixed this together.
4. By now your bulgar wheat should be ready. Let it cool/run it under cold water and drain it thoroughly
5. Mix the bulgar wheat in with the avocado mix.
6. Prepare your salad. Mine is just a pre-maid lettuce pack from The Co-op with some chopped cucumber and some egg-free mayonnaise.
7. Open your tortillas, spoon on the salad, add the avocado mixture and wrap it all up.
8. Nom it up in the sun, or in your bed on a hungover Sunday morning, that too.

Lots of avocado love!

The Linkables

Classic structures dressed as hipsters

This week there was a disgusting project on Kickstarter but with enough screaming and shouting something was done about it.

Hilary Clinton's former press secretary wrote a letter to his daughter apologising for being a former sexist.

If you're a man who would like to receive catcalls walking along a street, then this piece explains why you are wrong.

From the same author as above, why you shouldn't tell that random woman she's hot.

Deep fried strawberries with dipping sauce. You're welcome.

Strawberry & Meyer Lemon Marmalade.

More strawberries: strawberry iced tea.

Some interesting words on travelling whilst working freelance.

Something I nodded along to: catch-ups are overrated.

It's Sascha's one year vegan-versary!

As a female with a bucket-load of male friends I welcome this pro-platonic male/female friendship piece. (I've seen a lot of hateful posts towards females who have lots of male friends and am really tempted to write my re-butle).

Christy wrote up a great review of Musa in Aberdeen.

New food for my lunch box: pizza made from tortillas.

Paris Hilton cries during a viewing of The Bling Ring (as a fellow burglary victim my heart is with Paris 100%).

Papa Tony's at Springfield Quay

As I mentioned, my ma and pa were in Glasgow for a visit last weekend. As per their visits we went out for a meal however this time they requested we didn't stray far from base so I grudgingly decided to take them to Springfield Quay since I'm a south side dweller but generally not a fan of the restaurants you tend to find in these areas. 

I was originally going to take them to Panda however when we were wondering through I spotted Papa Tony's which I had never spotted before and decided I was much more in the mood for Italian than Chinese. The big ice-creams I seen the waitresses carrying to the outside diners certainly helped sway me too!

The menu was large and contained plenty of  veggie options however there wasn't anything particularly different for veggies or meat-eaters. My mum selected her usually favourite of breaded mushrooms (and these were delicious breaded mushrooms) whereas I picked out the vegetarian platter, and boy, what a platter it was! The menu didn't specify how big this platter was but when I received it was certainly bigger than for one person. Thankfully my parents helped me get through it alongside their own dishes.

And then we had the decision of main course, which took all of us a long time! I ordered the Tortelloni Crema e Salvia (first picture), my mum picked out the Cozze alla Marinara(second picture) whereas my dad selected the Quatrro stagioni pizza (third picture). I can't speak for my parents food (though they did gobble it up) but my dish was absolutely delish however it did have a very rich flavour with the combination of spinach, ricotta, cream, lemon and sage. To die for but I couldn't eat a lot of it in one sitting.

I did mention that Papa Tony's had a big selection of drool worthy ice-creams however after all that we were pretty stuffed! Maybe another time we'll skip starters and go for dessert.

Overall, I would say Papa Tony's is what you would expect from the kind of restaurants that tend to congregate around Quay's and beach front areas (or Union Square in Aberdeen). Whilst these places aren't my usual scene I would say Papa Tony's was a cut above, so if you do like these kind of places I'd completely recommend it! 

The Linkables

45 Pinterest boards for designers.

I find this interesting, but I agree with a offline/online divide: the internet is real life.

10 DIY plant pots (or planter, if you're American like the author).

Top 10 hard to kill houseplants

46 places to go in 2013.

Lynsey went to Dundee!

YES! The Cinderella Slayer.

A petition I signed this week: stop the creepshots on social media!

I can get behind this. Why Finnish babies sleep in boxes (not as morbid as it sounds).

Do you want to be an IT Crowd special? Erm, yes.

MPs urge UK to eat less meat to help global food supplies

And finally, induction hobs could save you money! (Okay, I'm plugging a post I wrote for work).

The Chocolate Factory Glasgow

Yesterday I mention that ma and pa visited me in Glasgow, however the female half of my parents was down two weeks earlier and during our small tour of the West End we stopped by The Chocolate Factory which is situated just before you would re-meet the city centre, near the Suchiehall Street end. 

We weren't planning to be go here but were in the area anyway so I could visit Grassroot Organic before it shut down and after leaving my mum piped up that she would like some lunch. I had walked past The Chocolate Factory before and whilst it had initiated some some curiosity in me I had never popped in, so I suggested it. 

Me and mum weren't overly hungry so we didn't order half the menu and both instead ended up with the same brie and cranberry panini (so much for a thorough review). We did however get different drinks: despite the sunshine that day we both opted for hot drinks, my mum a latte and myself a white hot choc. 

The food also came with some carrot and celery sticks and some dip (which if my memory serves me was chive) which beats a panini flung on a plate (which I was expecting!). The paninis themselves were also lovely and my hot chocolate was nom nom nom. 

The atmosphere was quite, kid-friendly shall we say. I didn't pop my head too far round the corner but their did appear to be a kids area so I wouldn't go here if you like quiet grown-up spaces. Even if kids are fine and dandy by you this did feel like the kind of place you would still need to come with someone - not really the kind of place you could settle into the corner and enjoy a book with. 

Have you ever been to The Chocolate Factory?

The Linkables

Some feisty feminism for you!

A wunderlust inspired mixtape. 

A brand spanking new book blog: Boo's Reviews.

A video parody of Instagram using Nickelback. I likey.

Recipes in illustrated form.

Last week I attended an event at Rox and Clare look amazing in her jumpsuit. 

If you're a small business looking marketing advice here is some advice I agree with.

I don't think I'd even like rose lemonade but the thought just seems so delicate and feminine.

A British blogger's guide to the best places to eat in New York.

I don't have the bravery (or the bank balance) to wear this dress (but will admire its beauty on Amy).

Iced Coffee lollies with chocolate nibs.

I love Suzi's take on blessings in disguise. So positive.

Some tips for finding gems at a car boot sale.

I have a weakness for salty foods so a food blog called Not Without Salt gets my attention.

If you want to date someone great, be someone great (My favourite quote from this piece is: "you can't control who you meet but you can control who you are when you meet them").

Don't let anyone tell you to stop daydreaming.

The Body Shop Peppermint Foot Care Range

If there's an area of beauty I pay a little bit too much attention than any person should it's foot care. An area of my body that no one really ever sees until summer (and even then) but that doesn't stop me from trying all sorts (such as a foot mask). 

I know I speak rather weirdly about The Body Shop and how their products are rather hit and miss (and their campaigns for ending animal testing but being owned by L'Oreal). However when it comes to their peppermint foot care range they have it spot on! After the new moringa range this is my favourite set. 

I'll admit that I haven't tried the full range - as you can maybe guess from the picture - but the products I have tried I love. As of right now I have tried three products (the picture lies) which are the pumice foot scrubs, deodarising foot spray, and the reviving leg gel. 

The foot scrub I picked up in early April as (the British) summer was approaching and I knew sandals would be in season again so decided to see what other products I could slip into my routine. I don't have overly dry feet as 1) I care for them all year round and 2) I work a desk job and do about zero exercise (and by about, I mean actually). Therefore I can't say whether or not this would be good for any tootsies that need serious TLC, but my gut says that it is much more suited for the every day maintenance of heels rather than a good pamper session. One of my favourite aspects of the scrubs is its smell. It smells very pepperminty and is a real pick me up when I'm showering at 7am whilst leaving my shower smelling delicious as I complete the rest of my morning routine. 

The Deodorising Spray, whilst not a very exciting product, is actually one of my favourite products ever ever ever. I mentioned it briefly in my Lush Volcano Foot Mask review as a great products for anyone who wants their feet a bit dryer and I stand by that. I've owned a few bottles of this product and I will definitely re-purchase again. I can't think of one flaw. 

Finally, we have the Reviving Leg Gel (un-pictured) which I picked up during my May pay packet shopping spree. I only bought this because The Body Shop had a deal on skincare so I decided to try some more of a range I was already praising. I have to say this is a nice product for after my half hour walk home from work but  I wouldn't say it's essential. It applies a cooling and tingly feeling to my legs which is really nice but I'm not like omgwow. It's the sort of product I'd recommend if money isn't much of a big deal to you - nice to have but not for the budget conscious. 

If I haven't made it clear I really like this range and can't wait to try the other products (I think my next purchase will be the intensive foot cream). 

Lots of peppermint love! 

What is each Scottish city like to live in?

Recently I have began reading tweets and comments on other blogs from some of the younger Scottish bloggers making serious decisions about university. Whilst the main factor about moving for university should be the course itself I think it's still important to factor into the city where you'll be studied as this will be home for the next four years so you're going to have to make sure you are happy (it's difficult to concentrate if you're unhappy). 

I now graduated almost a year ago (eek!) and have lived in three Scottish cities (grew up in Aberdeen, studied in Dundee and now live in Glasgow) whilst still visiting my group of friends in Edinburgh regularly. Therefore I have a lot of knowledge on what it's like to live in these cities. Not visit and go for a night out; I mean pay rent, work the transport system, buying your groceries and if you'll need a part-time job to survive. 

Aberdeen

Having grown up here does make it hard for me to view it from a moving-out-of-your-parents-becoming a financially-independent-adult perspective, but living almost 18 years there (and still having my family there) does give me a lot of knowledge. First off, Aberdeen is expensive and if you want to study here I'd seriously look at a part-time job (or asking your parents how much they can afford to give you). I've never personally rented in Aberdeen but most of the people I went to school with still live with their parents cause they cannot afford to move out. Transport wise, I live just north of the city and it costs me £5 for a bus into the centre and just over £2 for a train (which I still need to catch a bus to get to!). The roads are easy to drive in (not too many one-way streets) but they can get very congested because there is a river to cross in the north and the south. The transport system really does leave a lot to be desired (also, the airport barely flies anywhere).

Saying that Aberdeen has made great strides in recent years to become a 'happening' city. The Union Square shopping centre opened after I moved, the AECC now hosts big concerts and we now also have that golf course (and the windfarm). As far as 'bad areas' go they are there but they remain quite difficult to accidentally wonder into (but Aberdeen University is actually beside one of the worst!). 

My final point doesn't bother me because I'm an Aberdonian but apparently our lingo causes some confusion. Swot up!

Dundee

And now moving onto my own university town. There's maybe not a lot I can say that I haven't said before but I'll reiterate the many points I have talked about. I don't regret my time in Dundee and I still visit often but I'll never live there again. It's small, which does make it easy to get around (you can walk from one side of the city centre to the other in under 10 minutes) but does mean there isn't a lot there. You're going to need some really good friends and good nose for finding the hidden gems (which do exist!). Also, the nickname 'Scumdee' - I may get slack for this but I can see why it exists. The 'neds' don't stay in the bad areas but are very obvious in the city centre, wolf-whistling is really bad here and no matter what people say about Glasgow and crime I feel much safer in Weegie land than Dundee.

However the smallness does mean it is cheap. I lived in a city centre flat with some other students and my cut was £320, whereas I also lived in a one bedroom flat just outside of the centre for £340. And the bus was no bad either (I can't remember the exact price). This does make it a good city for the poor student. 

Whereas I am a big city girl I have friends who have remained in Dundee because they like the shops that a city brings but like that Dundee is so small you're never far from the countryside. 

Glasgow

Glasgow is the happening city with something always going on. If a band goes on tour Glasgow will be the Scottish city they stop by and we get the flagship stores. Its urban and hip. However I know people who don't like Glasgow because of how busy it is, and yes, you better walk quickly on Buchanan Street.

Despite its bigness it's a really easy city to get about. Its train system is fabulous and I've never struggled to get to where I've needed to be via public transport. I've only rented this one flat so I cannot compare prices but I'll divulge that I live on the south of the river near the city centre and pay a £360 cut of the rent each month - which I have been told is really good for a flat in that area. But the council tax whacks it back up. 

It's no secret that I love Glasgow but every city has its flaws and for me its the Rangers vs Celtic debate. I know strides have been made but having grown up in the most secular city in Scotland with one football team and studied in the city where the two teams have their stadiums only one street apart (closest in the UK!) I struggle not to roll my eyes. It's not rampant in the city centre but if I need to visit a supermarket as opposed to a metro I head into the east which is blatantly Celtic territory. I get out as quickly as it just makes me feel really uncomfortable. 

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is not a city I've ever lived in but it is a city I visit very often, and I get snippets of what it's like to live there from my Edinburgh based friends. First off, and you may know this, it is a beautiful city with a lot of charm, and is a bit posh! It has amazing nightlife and has loads of nooks and crannies - just like Glasgow there is always something to do however whilst it is not as big as Glasgow I find the city centre really expansive and quite disorientating. I've been visiting friends for years and still need them to be my guides. However rent is very expensive and one of my friends pays about the same rent as me for about half the size and another friend is 24 and can't afford to move out. But the buses are ony £1.50 max!!!!! I know the 50p increase caused an outcry amongst the natives but Edinburgh is a city I don't insist on walking all the way through.

I hope that if any of my Scottish (or even non Scottish ) readers found this useful especially if you're reading this from a soon-to-be-student or soon-to-graduate perspective. And if you have any questions (or would like some Aberdonian lessons) then just holla!



P.S. Sorry Inverness.