Wednesday 29 April 2015

5 Elite Daily Articles That You Need To Read

Elite Daily is our latest online obsession. From news to gossip, it's sure to make you think of things in a way that you never have done before. Here's our recent top 5 that you simply have to read. 


Grow Younger: What We Can All Learn From Our Childhood Selves



Since moving out of our homes we seem to be lusting after our childhood more than ever. Responsibilities, worries and routines can zap the fun out everything and we could seriously benefit from adopting a childish mindset from time to time. Remember being completely fearless, celebrating with cake instead of booze and just feeling happy for absolutely no reason nearly all the time? We could do with some more of this kind of living and this article really does open your eyes to how different life could be if we lived like this more. 

A Woman Is Making History In Puerto Rico And The World Needs To Take Notice




OK fab article, but it does make you feel kinda crappy about yourself. We get we should be inspired by women like this, but when it's 3 o'clock and we are still in our pjs we can't help feel bad about how much we are not doing to save the world. This woman is practically a real life superhero, and at the age of 33. Stories like this are becoming more regular and this is absolutely incredible. Go girl power and all that... but we still aren't getting dressed today (no judging!)

You’re So Addicted To Cheese Because It Has The Same Effects As Opium



Finally, we can stop blaming ourselves for our outrageous addiction to cheese! There's science behind it, which means it is completely out of our hands, not our fault at all and therefore we absolutely cannot feel guilty about it. While it's an interesting article, we do just want to point out that it is in fact Cosmo that is right with it's reports of cheese being good for you. We refuse to believe otherwise, and you should to. 



This is something we are both seriously passionate about. We physically cringe at all the skinny shaming that is just about everywhere you go, and constantly find ourselves asking the question 'why is it ok to say that someone is too skinny, but not too fat?'. With any issues regarding self image, particularly when it comes to girls, the media is the first to be blamed. This means that solutions, like punishing 'too-skinny' models, are adopted but are they really the root of the problem? This article gives a great insight into why they might not be, and what else needs to be taken into consideration. 



Every single day we send each other a screen shot or quote from social media, taking the piss out of a couple and the ridiculous things that they are posting. Why people feel the need to flaunt every part of their relationship we will never know, but one things for sure, it really does provide us with some entertainment (and some pretty long rants). It seems that a relationship is no longer between the two people that are actually involved, and instead one with the rest of the world (or Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pals). We would say that if you're one of these people that do any of the 10 things listed then stop, but actually you're really entertaining and we would have to find something else to laugh at you about if you did. 




Sunday 26 April 2015

5 Must Watch Documentaries That Are On Netflix

We have to admit we love nothing more than a good documentary. When we are completely overrun with uni work and get a spare hour we always find it impossible to switch off our brains... and this is where documentaries are our saviour. We have watched some fairly wacky ones in our most desperate moments (pretty sure Kirst entered a Google search consisting of 'monkey documentaries' once), but here are our top 5 that you can find on Netflix. 

1) Blackfish 



OK we know this is always everyones suggestion, but there's a reason for that. Following the story of Tilikum, a captive killer whale, this documentary will make you view SeaWorld in a whole new light. The scenes really are shocking, but something that we should all be aware of so if documentaries aren't really your thing then trust on this one, you still need to see this. 

2) Miss Representation 



Ignore what the name suggests, this is a must see for both guys and girls. This takes a look at how representation within the media is creating thoughts in our minds and the way we value ourselves. It looks at the pressure that the media places on us, and as a result the pressure that we place on ourselves. 

3) Fed Up 


Em is slowly working her way through all the food-related documentaries, but this new release is currently the most striking. It's main focus is on child-obesity (something we both find ourselves constantly being alarmed by), and where the blame mainly lies. It's truly shocking to see a) how little knowledge people have about food and b) how much the government and large corporations are to blame for this. Did you know that in America the School Lunch Programmes count fries and pizza as vegetables!? Told ya it was shocking... 

4) Louis Theroux - The Most Hated Family In America 


So just to be clear, any Louis Theroux documentary is worth watching. His are our go-to when we need something trusty, quick and light and there's always a topic he's covered that we are interested in. The Most Hated Family In America has to be one of the best though. Following a family that are at the core of the Westboro Baptist Church (an organisation that believes being homosexual is immoral) you will be completely shocked at just how outspoken this family are. 

5) David Attenborough - Africa 


Like Theroux you could pretty much pick any of Attenborough's sets and it would be a good choice. But as we move to warmer weather Africa has to be the pick! We don't need to tell you what you are in for here, as if you know of Attenborough then his work speaks for itself (if you don't know Attenborough then don't admit it out loud, instead lock yourself in your room and watch everything he's ever done). 







Sunday 19 April 2015

The Breakfast Club

I love breakfast. I honestly think a bit less of people if they tell me they never eat it, seriously how? I would have it for every meal if I could, and wherever I can use the typical breakfast foods for a meal, I do. 

So when in Shoreditch The Breakfast Club really was the only option when considering where to go for lunch! 




You know a place is good when it's a 12pm on a Friday and you have to queue out the door, but it was definitely worth the wait. 


When you walk in absolutely nothing matches. Not a chair, table or wall decoration and I loved it! When you go to a Nando's or a Pizza Express you could be in any location and the decoration is the exact same, it's boring! 


The menu is the absolute winner for this place. I'm sorry I was boring and just had a green tea (the drinks selection looked incredible), but after a morning of walking round London I was too thirsty! When I return (which I will) I'll be trying one of the smoothies, as they looked delicious. 


A few years ago I would always be the one to choose the sweet choice on the menu, but lately I've really grown to love a savoury brekkie. That being said I seem to have gotten into a trend of always opting for savoury, and on our quest to try new things I thought I'd go for a bit of both. Sweet pancakes, with maple syrup topped with crispy bacon. The other pancake option was mixed berries with maple syrup and cream. 



They were both absolutely delicious, the pancakes were exactly how they should be, thick and doughy and the portion sizes were overly generous! When I first saw the menu I thought that it was pretty pricey for what is was. Bills Restaurant was just next door, and seemed to offer similar food for much less. But when the pancakes were placed in front of us, and I watched the portion sizes the kitchen were dishing out, there was definitely a lot of value for money. 

In fact most of the people around us were unable to clear their plates (even I struggled and that never happens). If you love breakfast food, or even sandwiches, and you can handle a giant portion then this is definitely the place for you! But be warned, there are so many options that you'll want, you will be going back to try again. 

Emma x




Sunday 12 April 2015

It's OK To Deal With Things In Your Own Way




I've had a tough few weeks, and if you know me at all you would know that that sentence alone is hard for me to even admit.


I'm very private and I would say I'm quite guarded. I don't choose to share a lot of my life with people and when I see others sharing every detail of their life, I can't help but question why. Why would you want to tell someone that you're going through a tough time? That something awful is bringing you down and you can't stop crying? What do you gain from offering that information?

I come from quite a large family. My dad is one of six, and I am one of 16 grandchildren, and then we have eight grandchildren (four more are on their way). Growing up, I didn't even realise I had a big family, I didn't bat an eyelid.

Now this is the hard bit for me. In the last six months, we've lost three people from our family. My Auntie Lou, Uncle Kevin, and most recently, my Grandpa. I've experienced grief before, but I've never lost anybody who was that close to me. So, to lose three in six months has taken a huge hole out of our family. I come from a family of very strong people, I idolise my dad for his strength and bravery. Over the last six months he's had to make so many tough decisions, and had to take the reins on so many situations on the behalf of our family. Everyday we remind him that we don't know how we would have done it without him.

I love my family to bits. But somewhere in all of us, we have it engrained that to show suffering and pain is a sign of weakness, and if you show somebody that weakness they could use it against you. I always liked that I was private and that I don't need nor like to lean on people for support or help. Like I said, I question why others would want to share this kind of information with others. I personally do not think it would help me very much.

Don't get me wrong, I do have a few people in my life who I willingly share things with. I'm not afraid to cry in front of people, I'm not ashamed to say that I'm hurting or I'm not OK. I just struggle to find the desire to seek others for help.

After recent times, I've now realised how hard that makes me as a person to be around. It must be hard for my friends to want to be there for me, to offer their support, but be met by a brick wall. Effectively, that is what I have been at certain points. This is something that dawned on me this week, when I was met with messages from my friends asking questions. I started to beat myself up about the fact people were trying to comfort me, to help me and I was rejecting it completely.

Then I realise that the only way I have gotten through these last few months is that way and that way only. I realised that every message I have replied to has been my honest response at that given moment, if I said I didn't want to talk, it's because I didn't. No attention seeking, I wasn't actively trying to be private, I just didn't seek a conversation at that point in time. And you know what? That's OK.

So really, this post is a kind of 'To Kirsti', for the future. When I start to question whether my actions are right, or whether I should deal with it in that way, the answer is yes. Whatever your gut tells you, whatever your instinct is, is perfectly OK. Grief and mourning are an awful but strengthening period, and if the people around you tell you you're doing it wrong, they aren't the kind of people worth leaning on anyway.

Kirsti x

Wednesday 8 April 2015

March Musts

Must Watch - Pretty Little Liars



OK so we are really behind so don't you dare comment a spoiler! We only just discovered this series this month and are completely hooked (as if we needed another excuse to spend our  lives in our pjs watching Netflix). March was the month of the big reveal, where everyone found out who A is so it only seemed right to make Pretty Little Liars the must watch of this month.

Must Read - None of the Above



The media seems to be absolutely obsessed with reporting negatively about the younger generation when it comes to voting. As the general election approaches its becoming more important to address this. Rick Edwards explains both the need to vote, and how to know who to vote for in a way that's easy for everyone to understand. There's no shame in not understanding politics (does anyone really understand it?), but this doesn't mean you can't make an effort to engage in it. Your vote matters, and if you don't think it does then you definitely need to give this a read. 

Must Use - Clinique Take The Day Off 


Now this we are a little embarrassed about. Most bloggers have probably been using this kind of product for years, and were totally aware of why it is so essential. But we weren't. Before, we would use make up wipes, face washes, water, cleanser, toner.... the lot - but none of this. Clinique's Take The Day Off Cleansing Oil takes off all traces of make-up and oil and leaves our faces so fresh and clean. Who knew we were potentially leaving so much crap on our faces?! At £22.00 a bottle it is a bargain, you use one squirt each time and it seems as if its lasting a lifetime. Perfect for both of our skin types and so lightweight on our faces - the best addition to our skincare regime. 




Must Eat - Shredded Wheat Nests 


Why Mini Eggs are only around at Easter is beyond us. We like to eat as many as possible before they are off the shelves and these nests are the perfect opportunity to do just that. These cakes just say Spring and are a great way to break those Summer diets that everyone is starting. Find the recipe here

Must Buy - Activewear 


The weather has definitely brightened up and everyone's starting to get on that health hype (seriously is all people can talk about dieting?). With brighter weather there are becoming less excuses to not work out. If you're going to do it then you may as well do it in style. Buying workout clothes is a great motivator, and lets face it getting on the move is better than the low calorie diet that people alternatively choose. 


Must Wear - Zara Skinny Jeans 


Anyone else sick of the Topshop Joni/MOTO/Leigh/Jamie jeans? Yep, us too. They fade within a few washes, they don't fit all shapes and most importantly - they don't even feel like jeans. We are a nation of followers, and unfortunately we always fall for the price tag. We think that if something is more expensive, we are getting better quality. This is not true. To us, Topshop's jeans feel similar to jeggins. Have you ever worn Joni jeans on really cold day? Useless. The cold goes straight through them. We have found the perfect range of jeans in Zara - so many types, so many colours and all around the £23-£30 mark! Granted, Zara aren't great for their organisation is stores, so it's likely you will have to take a long look around to find different ones, but it is so so worth it. Comfortable, flattering and above all, actual jeans!


Must Go - To A Restaurant You've Never Been to Before 


If you're regular readers of your blog you will know this has been our March obsession. We have spent far too much money eating out this month (explains why we haven't made our current loan last until our next), but it's been the best idea we have had. There's just something about Spring that makes you think of a fresh start, and to do that you have to try things that are different. We are such creatures of habit when it comes to food, so break it and trust us you will not regret the good food that you will enjoy as a result. 

Wednesday 1 April 2015

6 Tips When Applying For A Job



Whether you are trying to get a job, internship or placement you are going to be going through a pretty stressful period. Taking a new direction is daunting, especially when you are not sure which direction you will be taking.

Each new opportunity that comes, whether it's an interview or just an application, you talk yourself round to having this job as your new or temporary life before you've even got it. Then if you don't get it you're bitterly disappointed, or if you get accepted you doubt that the path is definitely right for you.

We are currently in the process of applying for a year long placement and we can honestly say we've never felt so unsettled! We are obsessive planners, and like to always know our next step, but how can we when we don't know what company or job role we will have, whether we will be living at home or getting our own place, or when we will even start when we do get one?

Applying for a job sounds pretty easy, but we can assure you it's not.  There are so many things we wish we had known when we first started applying, and hopefully this post will help with anyone going through the application process, and maybe make you prepared for what's to come.

1) Try and find out what you want to do

When we first started applying we were fussy, we wanted an exact role and wouldn't settle for anything less. A few months and a lot of rejections later we flipped to the opposite, applying for absolutely anything and everything. Then when we started to get opportunities we realised that we actually no longer knew what we wanted, and quickly figured out that the only way to know is to explore. This then leads on to...

2) Don't judge a role by it's description

Kirst got offered an interview and was convinced the role wasn't for her. For days on end she was toying between whether to go or not, if she didn't go she felt as if she would look back regretting and asking 'what if?', but she also had a gut feeling that it just wasn't for her.  Despite these feelings, she went to the interview for peace of mind, and because well... time felt as if it was running out. Luckily for her, she absolutely loved it - her gut feeling was way off and instead, within the first 10 minutes she couldn't see herself anywhere else. Moral of the story? First impressions aren't always accurate, and we'd rather take rejection than regret.

3) Be unique in selling yourself

One of the placements that Em applied for specifically asked to not be bored with a 'generic cover letter'. So many people just changed the company name in their cover letter, and it shows. Every job is different, even if the only difference in the actual role is the company it's for, meaning that everyone wants something different from you. Sell yourself differently to match the tone of the company, it will make you much more likely to stand out and less likely to be ignored.

4) Know your company from the word go

Two words... surprise interviews. Companies are always looking for ways to get the most honest representation of you that they can. When they ask for an interview they know you will go away and swot up on what you might be asked, and let's be honest anyone can do that. As soon as you apply for a job spend time getting to know the company inside out (you should have already started doing this when writing your cover letter) so that your confidence is evident right from the start.

5) Ask questions

When applying for a job you think that all the questions are directed at you, but actually what you ask says a lot about you. It tells the company what it is you want from the job, and determines how passionate you are about getting it. Ask questions that make you look genuinely interested, such as questions about the working environment, your responsibilities etc so you find out about the potential job and make it look like its something that you really want.

6) Be prepared to be rejected

We've done a whole post on being rejected, find it here. When applying for multiple jobs it's important to know that you are likely to face rejection, even if you haven't done anything wrong. You could have been the perfect employee, but someone else may have just had one teeny tiny element that made them suit the job better. It's important that you don't doubt yourself. Rejection is just another phase in the process, and you can't let it knock your confidence. Accept the rejection, take on board the feedback and use it go for the next job with a whole new sense of experience.