Book Review // Follow You Home

On my eight hour round trip to and from Newcastle last weekend I used it as an opportunity to just sit and read a good book. I decided to pick up Follow You Home by Mark Edwards which is a thriller book and it's safe to say it really freaked me out (in a good way!) and had me on the edge of my seat.

A Weekend in Newcastle

Last weekend I headed up to Newcastle on the Mega Bus to go and see one of my best friends, Bethany, at uni. One of my new years resolutions is to go and see friends and family more and I had such a good weekend up there and we had so much fun; it was a weekend full of cat cafes, Bill Murray's face and pizza...lots and lots of pizza!

How to make your uni room more homely*

Generic uni rooms are pretty shit, I'm not going to lie. However, there are plenty of ways to make them look better and more homy. From bedding to lighting, I'm going to show you some of the ways that I like to make my uni room a little (actually a lot) more comfy and cosy.

Current Netflix Picks

I am a self confessed Netflix addict. Whether I have an afternoon free of no work/uni or I'm procrastinating from said work, I often find myself browsing through all the shows and films trying to find something to watch. Often I do feel a little overwhelmed with the sheer amount of choice because there is so much on there however lately there has been quite a few shows and films which I have been loving so I thought I'd share with you my current 5 favourites.

Going to See the Dietitian

Yummy Carbonara Pizza from Pizza Express; my current pizza fave! 

So yesterday I went to see the dietitian for the first time. I got referred the last time I was at the hospital as I had lost some weight and they thought it might be useful for me to know what foods to eat to help me gain weight.

So when I got there, it turned out I'd finally managed to put some weight on and I'm now kind of at a weight the consultants are going to be happy with (and I'm definitely happy with it seeing as my BMI is in the normal range!). It was actually really interesting going though as we went through normal things I eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks as well as drinks where I did have to admit that I rarely eat fruit because I hate it but then I was told as long as eat my veg it's okay (though I am going to try and eat some more bananas as I can tolerate them).

So some things I learnt at the dietitian;

• Eating cakes is fine! words you'd never think you'd hear from a dietitian, I know, but as I'm trying to gain/maintain this weight I need to make sure I eat enough calories a day so having a muffin is okay, but I should try healthier snacks too!
• A yoghurt for breakfast isn't enough. Some days, I will just have a yoghurt for breakfast. I think I'm still in the flare mindset where a yoghurt wouldn't make my flares too bad but the problem is it doesn't have enough calories in it so I should have some toast as well or put a banana in it too
• Decaf is the way to go. Anyone who knows me is already well aware I only really drink decaf drinks. Again, it's back to the days of flaring where caffeine would make it worse and also stops you from absorbing iron. Caffeine can also make you dehydrated/give you diarrhoea (lovely, I know) especially if you have an ostomy so I recommend decaf. Plus, it doesn't taste any different, I promise! Let me know in the comments if you'd be interested in a post all on decaf :) 
• Orange Juice is a miracle drink. Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration but it's actually pretty cool as apparently if you drink orange juice with a meal, the vitamin C will help you absorb the ferritin (iron) from your meal. Awesome, I know! Now, I am aware that orange juice can make your stoma output a little on the loose side so maybe just try a small glass. I've always been okay so I think I'm going to try and drink more orange juice! 

So there's some things I learnt from going to the dietitian. I found it really useful, plus my dietitian is a specialist in IBD and Stomas so she knew things which could specifically help with thickening up, not causing flares etc. I really wish that I'd been referred when I was diagnosed as I think I might have been able to manage my colitis a bit better if I'd had more information readily available so it might be worth asking your consultant/IBD nurse if you could be referred! 

I hope you found this post useful and let me know in the comments below any IBD/Ostomy food tips you have!

Snowy Dog Walks

Yesterday I woke up to a thick blanket of snow outside. This excited me a lot. As much as I love the hot Mediterranean sun, I am an absolute sucker for snow; it's so perfect and soft and fluffy! When it snows, I love to do three things; go Sledging (no one would come with me though and it's not as fun on your own), going on a dog walk with Arthur and drink my body weight in hot chocolate (which I'm doing right now as I write this!). I love taking pictures in the snow so I thought I'd bring you along on my two snowy dog walks! 

Getting Organised with Stick To Stigu*

Hands up if getting organised is one of your New Year Resolutions. Hands up if one of your new years resolutions is to be more mindful. If you've answered yes to either or both of them, then you need the Stick To Stigu 2016 planner. The Stigu is not just about getting organised but  it's also about getting rested, inspired and zest practices.

What's In My Stoma Bag

Here's a new take on the what's in my bag tag as I thought I'd share with you what I keep in my stoma bag and by that, I mean what I use to change bags, not what's in my actual stoma bag!! I've heard of a lot of people who struggle with bag changing, especially straight after surgery, however I've always been pretty good at it from the get go! Instead of been grossed out by it (FYI you shouldn't be!!) I instead was throughly intrigued at how my body had changed. However, to change a bag (or two in my case!!) you need a few other bits and bobs to do so!

Side note, all of this can be delivered by SecuriCare! 

My Base Essentials

Today I treated myself to the new look Real Techniques Core Collection as I'd managed to wreck my foundation brush by not cleaning it properly (I am now very aware of how, and how not to, clean them) and after taking a flatlay for instagram (a must, is it not!) I thought I'd share with you what my essentials for the base of my makeup.

Ostomy Outfit of the Month | January

Hello Chums! It feels like ages since I did an ostomy post; and even longer since I did an ostomy outfit of the month post. This months post is actually the outfit I wore on New Years Eve however it's one which you can dress up or down; the definition of 'smart casual'. 

2016 New Year Resolutions

Happy New Year everyone and hello to all you new readers as well as my regulars! As 2016 has arrived I wanted to share with you my goals, aims and aspirations for the new year. Last year was a tough one for me, mentally and physically mainly due to my colitis and ostomy surgery, and I've decided that this year is going to be a more positive and fulfilling year than the last.

Be Healthier 

I know, this is a very cliche new year resolution but I'm determined to get healthier, not just physically but mentally too. I've already started running and been on two runs already (today's a rest day!) and working towards doing a half marathon with my mum in fall of this year. I've also decided to take part in Yoga Camp which is an online 30 day yoga challenge with Adriene and using my Calm app daily to do meditation. 

Be More Active in the Blogging Community

I love this blogging community; it's so positive and supportive and I want to try and be even more involved within it. That includes taking part in twitter chats, going to more blogging events and just engaging more with bloggers. 

See Friends and Family More

Now I'm at uni, I have friends all over the country as we've all gone to different uni's and I really want to make an effort to go and see them more instead of waiting till we're all at home. I also want to see my family more as I hardly ever get to see them now and my niece and nephew are growing up way to quickly! Plus, I love getting to see everyone, so why don't I do it more!?

Save Money

I spend way too much money on crap I don't need and clothes I rarely wear. I'm planning on going on a bit of a spending ban and just buy essentials and spend my money on experiences rather than on material items. 

So, there you have it! My 2016 (I accidentally wrote 2015 first...oops! How many times is that going to happen this month) resolutions...I'm going to look back on these in December and hopefully I'll have achieved them! Who knows, you'll hopefully see some blog posts proving that I'm doing them in the near future. 

Let me know in the comments below what your 2016 resolutions are :)

Best of 2015

2015 has been and gone so I thought I'd share with you my favourite posts from the last 12 months! I love reading posts like this (I saw a great one on Carpe Diem Emmie) as you get to see posts you might have missed. 

I just want to say a massive thank you to all of you who have been reading the blog for the last year, it means so much to me that you have all stuck with me through thick and thin and I've had some lovely comments as well. So, here's 2015 for you...