Graze http://www.graze.com/I don't know if you have seen or read about it (Now ran a piece on diet section about it few weeks ago). I call it Graze - Craze (like being crazy about something) - I am vegetarian and always go for healthy options (apart some days when you just need to have that pack of Maltesers and nothing else is going to feel you better) so was happy to receive a promotion code from my friend Danni which was a first step in my Graze world. The system works like that: there is a web page where you can find the healthy snacks which include dried fruits, nuts, flapjacks and other yummy items which you rate (you might find some nuts not so tasty or have allergies to certain ones, so you want to exclude them). Then, pick your frequency of the delivery (mine is on Tuesdays) and every time, you will receive four different snacks which also come with nutrition value sheet (for those to keep the eye on your calorie intake). Snacks are always natural, organic and home made (I can tick one of the boxes of being good for environment and supporting charity). Every Tuesday I can not wait for a post man to deliver the box which most of the time is gone by the next day as it is so delicious. E-mails are always sent to you before your delivery with the information of the delivery continent and you are asked to rate the snacks that they know if you want it some other time or maybe you weren't so keen. The pricing plan is detailed on the web page and I posted the link for you to check it out. For those who are reading, if you want to claim your first free box (the same as I got it started), voucher code is 812GZT73, it doesn't cost you anything to try and cancel if you do not want to continue but I can almost be sure that few quid per week (let's say the amount you spend on that tall hot chocolate with the whipped cream on top from Starbucks) will be worth it.
My commentsWelcome back. So how did you enjoy tonight's show? I feel i could be that fifth judge they were talking about in all papers last week after controversy of Cheryl's refusal to vote. I might not be famous or have music industry experience but I believe this is not what makes you good (I am not picking on her but let's say Cheryl, today she didn't say anything bad about Wagner's performance just for the sake of being nice, come on Miss, you are paid for being a judge and giving guidelines for future performers). Paije's opening song might not blow our minds but it wasn't so bad to receive to many negative comments. Poor thing. He reminds me of Cee Lo Green: cheeky personality, funny, cuddly and soulful voice. I kind of liked it that groovy Crocodile Rock song. I wasn't impressed by Dannii trying to shut Louis (who was really mean and nasty today, I guess he should be called Mr Nasty from now on), it will really irritate me if someone would try to shut my mouth, this is a show and their job is to give their opinion (but need to keep in mind that you have to weight everything before you criticize someone). Aiden has this quirky personality which I love about him, being so emotional and connecting with the song is unique quality and I believe he does it every time he sings. Do not have much to say just the fact that I loved his song and I do like his slow tempo songs as it seems that his voice is just created for emotional stuff which reaches you and gives goosebumps. Mary. She is genuine and lovely lady, I feel happy for her life change now as working in Tesco is not anyone's dream job and she is doing so well. Her voice is amazing, I guess SuBo might have a competition if there is an Xmas CD release on agenda. I wasn't impressed by the song as she sounded more like a musical production singer not like Mary we know on X-Factor. At the end, it was nice performance. Katie. Oh dear, I guess I am not a huge fan of the girls' category this year. She might have good fashion sense (I like it but wouldn't pull some of her looks) but being in the media for all wrong reasons doesn't allow her to connect with viewers and audience. Stage performance was great, nice show, however, her voice was not suitable for a song (my opinion) as it was more like talking but not showing off her real voice abilities. I quiet liked her when she done those old songs few weeks ago, they suited her voice and her personality as she can be quiet entertaining. Hoping for the better show next week from Miss Katie and wishing all good luck not to be in the bottom two for the fourth time. Matt - I see why he is bookies favorite to win. He is just adorable and his this amazing voice (I loved loved loved last week's song, it made me cry). I believe we will see him in finals as the girls love him (well let's be honest, we are the ones who always put the boys through, we are the ones who are the hugest fans). I am not sure if it was Cher or Wagner next, so let's go with the ladies first. Did her hair look the same color as her mentor's? Maybe I need a new set of glasses. I only liked her performance a few weeks ago when she closed the show with a ballad. What's wrong with that girl's face impressions? She always pulls that aggressive, "ghetto" look (hey girl, we are not in Brooklyn), and can she do any song without raping (expect that ballad she always raps and it is really annoying for me as it is singing competition not "8 mile" setting where you need to freestyle on your raping skills, you are not British Lil Kim dear). OK, she might have nice voice (sometimes but this happens not so often) and I still do not get why people are so crazy about her expect the fact that she looks like mini Cheryl (for me it is more about being copycat: tattoo, hair, dressing style, get a life and be individual. Katie might not be a favorite one but I would give her top marks for individuality and style). Wagner. Why he is still there? Is he so appealing to the ladies that they keep voting for him? He might be a nice person but he doesn't have the best voice. I liked the first part of the song (at least I could understand what he sang) but it went all wrong when he started to sing "The circle of life" (it will give me nightmares now as it was my favorite childhood song from "Lion King"). Can One Direction be the next Take That? Well with these good looks and Simon behind you, bring it on. They sounded good, I was impressed. I guess they started to sound more like a band from the last week when they done a full routine with that American song (it was cheesy, Glee style catchy tune which made everyone happy). And to be honest, it might be that Simon is right about saying that we might see them in finals as public loves them and they sing well. I can see posters on the walls of young school girls' bedrooms already. Rebecca is so sweet. She has this quality of connecting with people and she looks genuine. Her voice is amazing. Loved a song which is so touchy (Lady Di, rest in peace), again it gave me goosebumps. The fashion war Dannii Vs Cheryl. What can I say, you go girl, Dannii wins once again. I loved her sophisticated look and those earrings were giving the edge for a white gown. I guess motherhood suits her, I started to notice her more after last year's show when everyone was wowed by her changing hair dos and excellent wardrobe choices. Oh dear, Cheryl. What was wrong with her hair? This girl has almost double budget (comparing to Dannii) and can not do her hair, it look messy and undone - disaster (some girls going out do look better that her and they do it themselves without anyone's help). And these earrings - they looked like sea shells who were dipped in glitter and were way too heavy for her ears and looked like they are going to fall out. The strapless shinny dress wasn't a winner too. Was it me or it looked a bit too tight making her boobs almost pop out (I guess her stylist should double check her dress size before she puts on and the best idea would be to get something classy as you will never miss with that choice, look at Rebecca - less is more). Louis, I love him and like him ganging with Dannii on this series but today he was not like himself (I hope this is nothing to do with the 13th of the month and it is not even Friday, so no explanation for his behavior). I always have a soft spot for Simon, who doesn't. He might be called Mr Nasty but he always is going to say what he thinks which I love about, however, he is loosing my respect for making X-Factor the show of Mrs Cole (or should I refer to her by her maiden name now). Can not wait for tomorrow's result show and not to be too harsh, I believe Wagner had stayed long enough (doesn't it remind you of Jedward last year, they weren't good singers but were still on the competition almost till the middle of whole show), maybe it is time to go letting people to sing now as it is singing competition after all (maybe he should try to audition for BGT).
X FactorBeen a bit lazy lately so time to sit down and write something. I am amazed by myself how lazy I can become sometimes: I just stay in my comfy PJ's for a whole day, doing sudoku, reading magazines and books, staying in bed, having random naps and even not answering my phone when I see my friends are calling. Some might think that I have depression, well maybe. I guess sometimes it is too difficult to get motivated for me: the weather is a killer, if it is raining and cloudy I am not keen in doing anything, or sometimes I am just lazy and prefer to stay and do nothing. Anyways. Today is X-Factor night, a bit of a public obsession which keeps us all in with a cup of tea (hot chocolate if you are feeling naughty, which I do feel tonight). I am not a huge fan of a show however, it is like addiction, you start watching and then you just do it, moreover, all the weekly magazines are full of the stories related to the contestants or the judges. I will be back later to tell you what I thought about tonight's show as it is Elton's night and all his hits are going to be performed (I am not a huge fan of him, however, you have to be fair, he is British, he is a music star and done a lot, so deserves it). Can't wait to see the judges outfits (it is not more likely that Simon is going to wear something different) but I just love Dani's style. She is gorgeous (I am not Cheryl's fan, sorry...)
A for addictionUsually the first thing in the morning (apart from taking all my vitamins) is to read some of the weekly gossip magazines to start me going. Lame, I know. You won't believe it, but Tuesday is my day of the week as all the magazines are out (Closer, Now, Heat, Grazia, New etc). I can't resist the temptation of buying them (and this is every single week) even knowing that all the "news" will be the same, followed by the same pictures. Let's put it this way: people have addictions which might be harmful, funny, over the top and bizarre. My friend's BF was addicted to porn (shame on him as he made her suffer and I still haven't forgotten that so easily): he was starting to skip having sex with her blaming busy work schedule or personal issues, my friend was starting to be a bit frustrated and was surprised to find (I love all this technology these days, it makes so easy to find out your last web sites you browsed...) that he was enjoying the pleasures of porn instead of doing something with her. This made her super upset (who wouldn't get): she lost the confidence, started to have body issues (you start to assume that your beloved BF better prefer blond bimbos with big assets than you), to cut things short they sorted the problem out and are back on track. So I guess a girly addiction of shoes, bags, in my case magazines is not something to be horrified of as long as it doesn't go over the top (spending all your salary to get that perfect pair of new Gucci heels or a new "it" bag, knowing that you will need to cover it with two of your credit cards). As I have mentioned before, I have a movie addiction, also I love chocolate (well sometimes it can be a bit of a hassle to get rid of those love handles, but as long as I am willing to do some exercises a bit of yummy chocolate didn't hurt anyone), perfumes (I believe you have to have one for every occasion and I am happy to hear compliments of my new perfume from my BF or people around me), I am a bit of shopaholic freak: I love just browsing, trying on, feeling the fabrics - I love it! As I always say "I can resist anything, except the temptation", so enjoy your little indulgences.  B for Birthdays
OK, it is official! I am getting old (like it is big news for you). I am hitting 1/4 of the century on Saturday. This triggered my quarter life's crisis (apparently this really exists): you know when you start comparing yourself to your friends (oh yeah, she got already her own place, better job, new outfits every week etc.), you tart being too hard on yourself of what not achieving what others are expecting from you, that might be yours unreasonable set targets even. According to some studies (sorry can not remember the source but I read it in one of the magazines, I swear) young people in their 20's are put under lot of pressure and comparing to the life achievements their parents have achieved by that age, however keeping in mind the different economical situation, they feel useless, pity them selves and usually are under loads of stress which leads to psychological problems. It used to be a joke about the midlife crisis hitting older men (buying new sports car, getting a bimbo to boost the self esteem and at the end getting back to his wife whom he was happily married before the crisis hit him) but now it seems it is getting us at earlier state of life and it is not about the spending and splashing cash as we (I refer to all youngsters) do not have enough of them as we didn't get the job we went for when we done a degree in university which left us in debt (some of my friends are still paying the loans back, poor thing), we do some average paid jobs (and you start thinking why the hell I went to uni and spend all that money and still doing it), or "the best scenario" getting redundant after all that economy crisis (just as soon as you settled in the nice office, started to enjoy your new job and dreamed about getting everyone to notice you), going back to live your parents as you can not afford renting the place on your own (my worst nightmare, I love my parents dearly but living on my own for 7 years taught me my own way of running my place, doing house keeping etc). I guess, I shouldn't complain so much, I might not be having a dream job but I like it enough, it pays my rent, my holidays, my addiction of shopping. I do not have a loan to pay for my studies (good on me and the EU government). Enjoying the life is my main priority now: I love being with my friends, spending my time with my man, going for short breaks, visiting my family every now and then (I do it quiet often now, sometimes even twice a month as it is a good way to save money, going there means getting place and food free of charge).
So what is my plan for my B'day? Well, I done the big celebration back home like few weeks ago (early bird party): sauna + drinks = very bad hangover the day after but I had fun having my dearest around me. This Saturday me and my best friend is going for a male striptease show in West End (bring it on!), having few drinks with some other friends later and maybe Sunday I will go carting (this is pending as I am not sure how I feel the next day and my man is off, so...). There must also be some kind of the party on Friday as someone is having a birthday on the same day as me (a girl from work to be precise), so home party at hers (might pop in there, depends on the mood, however, my friend and me decided to be like a "YES Man" character, always say yes). I had a plan to skip UK for this weekend but again, the man, he didn't get the days off, so I am here as being alone on your birthday is not the best idea. Happy B'day to everyone and enjoy it! (as I will for sure, will try to upload some pics from the West End night). I am going to embrace my new gained status (I am not in my early 20's anymore, the box I will need to tick now is late 20's): with age comes experience and many more, so bring it on! C for cinema
I am a bargain hunter and who is not, so no wonder I signed for the Unlimited cinema card with Cineworld (I believe you have heard the name of the cinema, there are quiet few of them around in London). I can go anytime, anywhere and the number of movies I can watch is unlimited which is a heaven to me as I am addicted to movies. And here we talk about the experience on the big screen, the sound system. Nothing can beat the atmosphere even the fact that you don't have enough leg room, or someone behind can't stop chatting (which annoys me to bits, go to the cafe or something if you fancy a chat), or the worst thing for me when I saw a mouse in the screen, to make things clear, I am petrified of mice, you can only imagine how I felt seeing it running from one row to another, this was the most intense movie (not like it was thriller but the emotions overwhelming me of seeing "the beast"). I can watch anything: you will find all weird DVDs at my place as it is a mix of different genres. The last movie I have seen (which was yesterday to be exact) is "Easy A" which was funny and entertaining. I am not a huge fan of those teenage-school-college flicks but I always know I will have some situations when I am going to cry, have a lough and giggle about the silly jokes like a little girl. I loved mother's character, need to check who played her, but her lines were hideous. Not to forget the chats between the dad and adopted little black brother. Wicked sense of humor (I liked it and it made me laugh loud which doesn't happen a lot, I mean I laugh and a lot, but not in the cinema when I am on my own and loud which can attract attention, I guess I am a bit self conscious about that). I have to make a confession. I always thought that people who go to the cinema on their own are weather freaks (I guess this also applies for those trying to date online. Another confession, I have done it too, so does it make me a freak? Hmmm...) or don't have friends (something which is not in my vocabulary as I do have them and quiet a few, and I am not talking about more than 500 of them on Facebook). I never been to the cinema on my own before I moved to London, it was something uncool and even if you go with someone and as soon as the lights are off you only concentrating on screen, the feeling that someone is with you that counts: you know that you will discuss the movie when it ends, can ask some question if you didn't get what the character said. Now, I am the one of those "freaks" who go on my own (well most of my friends have normal jobs, so they do normal hours which doesn't go well with my spare time as I might have a morning off and work in the afternoon or vice verse). I only go to the morning showings as they are not full, you don't feel so bad coming alone as there are plenty people like you who just pop in to enjoy the movie. Last time I counted how many people were on their own and how many were in couples or more. Surprise surprise, but the morning shows are the hit with single ones (I guess this is fair enough, as the guy will ask someone on the date after a movie, this is when the screens are full of loved up couples who are smooching in last rows). I am off to see something today, not so sure what but as long as something new is on, I am ready for it, bring it on.
Welcome back
I am back, well I haven't been away or so, just lazy and having no inspiration (maybe I had it but the idea of sitting down and writing my thoughts was not tempting at all). It is good to be back (I hope someone missed me...)
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