A New Year | Part 1.....Going Vegan

Happy New Year!!

Are we still allowed to say that? I was holding off writing this post until well into January because this post is not about a new years resolution but a lifestyle change that I have been pre-empting for the past few months, and one I plan to stick to for the rest of my life and not just the year ahead, and that is making the Jump from Vegetarian to Vegan.

I started my meat free journey when I was 12 years old when on leaving primary school I made the concise decision that I no longer wanted to eat meat. My youthful decision was down to the basic concept that I didn't understand why as humans we would choose to slaughter and eat animals when we didn't need to. As I grew older, and throughout often having to defend my life style choices in many an argument, I slowly educated myself on farming conditions overseas, the effect that eating animals has on the environment and the major health benefits that comes from removing meat from your diet.

As the years passed and I turned 25, I had now spent more of my life as a vegetarian than I had a meat eater and it was at this point I began making a concise effort again to re-educate myself on matters of the environment, animal welfare and my health. It was also at this point that I came across the documentary 'Cowspiricy', when I realised that virtually all my reasons for being Vegetarian bleed through into Veganism. I discussed the ideas with closes friends and family, and the most I discussed it, the more I knew that if I wanted to live my most ethical life, I had to give up all animal products. Over the next month or two I started to cut down on the animal products I was consuming. I decided that the New Year seemed like the perfect point to make the change for good.

Since then I have been on a food adventure... sampling some great vegan alternatives to various dairy products, trying out Glasgow's impressive (for Scotland) range of Vegan restaurants and emerging myself in vegan online culture. 

I hope now that I can use this space to share this part of my life with vegan food hauls, recipes and vegan beauty. I would also like to say that I am very new at this so any help and advise would be greatly appreciated as I tackle this new ethical lifestyle. 

Hears to a Happy and Healthy 2016

Sarah xXx

Holiday Funtimes | The Irish & Swedish Invasion

First blog post of 2014......its only taken me two weeks :(

Safe to say my 4th year has taken over my life right now! I can't remember the last day I was not in the library! 

However, over the festives I got to take a few days off while my beautiful friends from exchange came to visit me! 

 We did a fair amount of sightseeing, drinking and sampling Scotland's Finest foods! Here are is what we got up to:

Happy New Year 

"It's all in like Swedish or Something?!"

Sexy Scottish Men

Haggis, Bru and Macaroni pie! 

Haggis Time

Edinburgh GreyFriers Bobby

First and most importantly, I wanted the girls to experience a proper Scottish Hogmanay (New Years Eve). Up north we go all out at this time of year! Us Scots love it so much we even get two public holidays for the event! I personally hate club nights for Hogmanay! For me, nothing is better than taking in the bells surrounded by those you love at a house or flat party, so thats exactly what we did! In true Scottish style we drank far too much.... including a Swedish tradition of shooting some very strong Swedish Schnapps! We drank, danced and partied until the not so wee hours of the morning.... and then saw the first day of the new year completely indoors, nursing some rather sore heads!  

The next day, determined to display my tourism degree prowess, I took the girls to the Capital, Edinburgh, Where we did a whistle stop tour of everything we could possibly see and do! I know Edinburgh very well after living and studying there for a year so I was the perfect tour guide, showing them parliament, the castle, Grey Friers Bobby, Royal mile, National Museum of Scotland, and, my personal favourite, the Edinburgh Dungeons!!  

That evening, after returning home we feasted on Haggis, Macaroni pie (a legendary dish I had told the girls about while on exchange) and Irn Bru! the perfect way to end a wee trip to my beautiful home country! We have already promised each other to spend Paddy's Day in Dublin and Midsummer in Sweden so watch this space!

Hope you guys all had a lovely Christmas and New Year!

Comment and Subscribe

Sxx

In

2013 | A Change of Beauty

Happy New Year!!!!!

I've not posted in a while as I have been back home visiting my friends and family of the festives so have been a little busy. 

My trip home was filled with lots of eating, drinking and a HUGE amount of fun, however I did find myself suffering with a little culture shock on my return. In so many ways the UK and North America have so many similarities. We watch the same TV shows, read the same books, shop in the same stores and listen to the same music but it would seem we do not have the same approach to make up and cosmetics.

The first thing I noticed while being out in Canada is there being no fake tan on the shelves. I simply put this down to the fact that Montreal is a far more multi-cultured city, and they sun = less need for fake tan, but I forgot how plastered up the girls back home get! Here in Canada I'm very pale, but natural. Back home I'm very pale.... and since I didn't slap on the fake tan - like every pale girl should?!? - I felt like I stuck out like a sore beaming white thumb!!

The UK beauty industry seemed to be under the impression of 'more is more'!! I was actually shocked to see how much foundation and blush all the girls from back home had slathered on there faces... and most of them were very pretty girls! When driving home I asked my mother if I wore that much make up in the past and it was confirmed that I was just as bronzer happy as a lot of these ladies

As I scanned back through old pictures on Facebook it was clear to see that she was telling the truth (and that my wardrobe left a lot to be desired!!) and all of this got me thinking....

Why do we wear make-up??

Why did it feel so normal to wear so much before?? 

and most importantly

Why have I got such a HUGH amount of it??

My beauty collection before I left for Canada

I (and the vast majority of woman) spend a small fortune on these products every year, money that I'm sure could be better spent so this year I have a pledge..

First I will take note of any cosmetic products I buy to see how much I really spend

Secondly I will try and use up the vast amounts that I already have: Project Pan!!

So Bring on 2013

Sxx