Who Says A Vegan Diet Needs To Be One Of Sacrifice?*

With the coming of every new year, it seems appropriate to take a moment to pay respects to the rise of Veganuary. The worldwide resolution to eschew animal products at least for the first month of the year has reached another record high in 2019 with no less than 300,000 people answering the call to lead a cruelty free (and potentially healthier) life even if it's just to give it a try. Most of us have stopped to consider at least for a while whether veganism is for them. Many may have a sincere desire to lead a cruelty free life but find themselves saying something along the lines of 'I don't know if I can go vegan. I couldn't live without...' before inserting the name of their favourite foods. However, a vegan diet needn't be one of sacrifice. With just a little tweaking, all of the foods you love can be made completely free of animal products at the expense of none of the flavour...

Image by Pixabay

Good For You, Good For The Planet

The right motivation can be an important way to get over any teething problems. If you should find yourself craving meat, dairy or eggs when dipping your toe in the waters of veganism, remember that a plant based diet is not only potentially good for you, it's one of the most impactful things you can do for the planet. Not only is the high protein 'Western diet' high in saturated fats and connected to an increased risk of heart disease and cancer (America's biggest killers), it also uses a colossal amount of land, water and other natural resources. And that's before we get into the inherent cruelty of industrialised animal husbandry. Besides, you'll find that wherever your culinary passions lie there's a vegan alternative...

Currys, Stir Fries and Rice Dishes

If you're a lover of Asian cuisine like stir fries, pad Thai, curries and rice dishes, these are among the easiest dishes to make vegan. Simply replace your usual meat or seafood with silken tofu or seitan. Seitan has a texture similar to duck or tender beef but it is higher in protein and lower in saturated fats than either.

Burgers

Who doesn't love a good burger? They are the quintessential American food and as a nation we consume around 50 billion of them a year. However, while beef may be a popular sandwich filling, there's no denying that cattle farming is also responsible for a whole lot of environmental damage and animal suffering. Switch out your beef for a seitan patty however and you can enjoy all of the protein with none of the animal suffering.

Pizza

All around the world, who doesn't love a slice of pizza? However, even when it's loaded with veggies, your aromatic cheese dripping feast can still carry a hefty carbon footprint. Dairy is a highly resource intensive mode of farming and since it involves calves being taken away from their mothers after just 24 hours it can also be a source of intense animal suffering. Fortunately, with so many plant based cheese substitutes on the market, vegan pizza is becoming increasingly common and getting more and more delicious.

Cake, Pies and Desserts

If you have a sweet tooth, you may assume that there's no way to get the delicious desserts you love without milk, eggs, butter and cream. However, those who assume that you need dairy for a satisfying dessert need to check out these must-try vegan dessert recipes. They're delicious, satisfying and in some cases, a little healthier than their dairy laden counterparts.

So, there you have it. A vegan diet doesn't need to be a diet of sacrifice and abstinence and if you think that going vegan means committing to a life of 'rabbit food', think again!

*This is a collaborative post

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The Tattooist Of Auschwitz by Heather Morris Book Review

This is a book I've been waiting to read for such a long time. I almost bought it a few times over the last few months but 1. I already had a ridiculous amount of books to get through first and 2. I had a feeling it was one of my Christmas presents. Luckily it was, and I got stuck in straight away, to then finish it less than 48 hours later because I just couldn't stop reading once I started.

'I tattooed a number on her arm. She tattooed her name on my heart. In 1942, Lale Sokolov arrived in Auschwitz-Birkenau. He was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival - scratching numbers into his fellow victims' arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust. Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale, a dandy, a jack-the-lad, a bit of a chancer - it was love at first sight. And he was determined not only to survive himself, but to ensure this woman, Gita, did too. So begins one of the most life-affirming, courageous, unforgettable and human stories of the Holocaust: the love story of the tattooist of Auschwitz.'

My review

The subject of Auschwitz has fascinated me since school. I always looked forward to history lessons and it was something I always wanted to find out more about despite it being such a truly awful thing. I remember getting so involved in lessons about it, so this book was always going to be a must read for me. Told by Heather Morris, this is a book about Lale and Gita who meet at a concentration camp. It's love at first sight so what follows is a story of how true love can overcome anything and how humanity can be found even in the worst circumstances.

My first thought after finishing this book was how well Heather had handled such a sensitive topic. I'm almost struggling writing this review because I don't feel anything I can say can do it justice and how do you talk about such a thing that happened to so many people? To me, it was clear that much thought had gone into how best to approach this and that it was done in a way that was respectful to the people involved, but gave enough detail for us to really understand. I thought Heather's writing style was great, in that the book was very easy to follow from the very start, despite there been times where narrative changed from one person to another. It all flowed seamlessly. Her writing also really allows for you to build the story up as you go along and I found I could really clearly picture everything. Almost like a film playing out in my head.

I also thought Heather was great in building up tension in certain moments and at times I felt I was holding my breath, just waiting for something to go wrong, despite knowing that somehow it all ends up okay in the end. I was still always wondering how Lale and Gita were ever going to get themselves out of this situation, it was absolutely heart-wrenching at times. Even more so, because all I could think when reading was 'this actually happened, this was real life'. You could feel their love for one another and you just can't possibly imagine how it must have felt at the time for them both to not know how they could just survive, let alone be together. Though at times, this was a tough read, I feel like I've learnt so much. Though everyone knows the horror of the Holocaust, I still at times found myself so shocked at some of the things that happened, I just couldn't comprehend how humans could ever be so cruel to one another.

I think The Tattooist Of Auschwitz is a book everyone should read. The love story of Lale and Gita is told so sensitively, Heather has just done a brilliant job and was clearly very invested in making this the best it could be for everyone involved, it fully deserves all of the recognition it's getting. Stories like Lale's are so important and need to be told. We need to be the ones to share their stories so something like this can never be forgotten and can be never be allowed to happen again and I think books like this are the perfect way. I actually really hope it gets made into a film in the near future (I think it was originally intended to just be a movie), I think it would translate to screen beautifully and it would be a great way of getting this incredible story of love, friendship and hope out to a wider and younger audience.

This was the first book I read in 2019 but I already think it's going to be a hard one to beat. I have a feeling it's going to stick with me for a very long time.

Have you read The Tattooist Of Auschwitz?

Other book reviews - Million Love Songs by Carole Matthews // The House Swap by Rebecca Fleet

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4 Things We Shouldn't Feel Guilty About*

I'd really love to know if anyone else has found that the older you get, the more judgemental people around you seem to become? From GCSE's at school to choosing whether to go to university or not and then pursuing your career - everyone seems to have an opinion, and don't even get me started on people thinking they have a right to know what you earn and when you'll be having children. I've definitely not done things the easy way since leaving college and the 'plan' I had pretty much disappeared but I'm kind of sick of feeling judged because of it. I think with society as it is nowadays and social media being what it is, we all get criticised no matter what we do but I'm done with feeling guilty of how I live with life. So, here are 4 things I don't think anyone should feel guilty about (though I could have probably added far more!)

1. Wanting To Grow Our Social Media Platforms

As much as people say you shouldn't focus on the numbers when it comes to social media, as a blogger it's pretty hard not to. Whilst I agree it can sometimes be easy to get a little bit obsessed with it and almost too focused, I don't think keeping track of where you're at and setting yourself goals each year is a bad thing. Some people blog for fun but others treat their blog as a business and so kind of need to be aware of their follower count. I've seen many people comment online about how numbers don't matter and whilst I completely agree they aren't the be all and end all and I think the quality of your blog and your content is just as important, if not more, I'm not going to feel guilty for wanting to grow my social media platforms anymore. We're allowed to want to see results for the hard work we put in!

2. Changing Things We're Unhappy With

This applies to a number of things in life but the main one I see a lot of criticism over is cosmetic surgery. Now I'm not saying there's anything I'm desperate to change or would be brave enough to actually go forward with but I know many people online and who I've grown up with that have had certain procedures done and it has changed their life. Women, especially seem to get frowned up if they've had any work done as people just think you should love the body you're in no matter what, and whilst that would be nice, that's not the case for everyone. Whether you require dental services because you're insecure about the state of your teeth and want to be able to smile properly again in photos, or if it's something a little more personal, who are we to judge what one person does with their body? One small change could give them a much needed confidence boost.

3. Your Living Situation

I think no matter what your living situation is, whether you're living at home with parents, in a student flat, renting or have a mortgage, there will always be someone ready and waiting to criticise you. I think it's one of those things where if you're not doing exactly as everybody else is, or how they expected, then it's wrong. People who still live with family are made to feel guilty as it's just a given apparently that you don't pay rent and get everything done for you, but sorry that's not the case for everyone. Those who are renting like me, can sometimes find people judge because to them it's just common sense that you save for a deposit and buy a house. Many times I've felt embarrassed or guilty that we've been renting for years whereas other people I have know have already bought their first home, but I like my home! I'm not going to be made to feel bad anymore. No one knows the reasons why people choose to do what they do, and frankly it's none of their business.

4. Not Drinking

This is a big one for me and one that I find crops up at least a few times a year if there are occasions or events. It's just expected that you drink and if you don't, people think there's a big reason why. I'm not saying I'm teetotal, I do love a glass of prosecco every so often and in Summer sometimes it's nice to sit somewhere and have a drink but the majority of the time I'm just not about that life. I find alcohol can sometimes set my anxiety off and in the past I've found it's just not been worth it. I like to think I'm still pretty fun without the drink but I get the impression a lot of people assume you're boring or just a bit weird if you don't drink and I am beyond tired of it. Just leave people alone! I hate that some people feel they are entitled to know your entire life story and your reasons for saying no. You don't owe anyone an explanation.

I hope this hasn't come across like just one big rant, I'm just quite passionate about all 4 of these things and I think they're all something different people will be able to relate to. Let me know though if you agree with any of them or if you have any other experiences you want to share.

*This post is in collaboration with Tooth-Doctor

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What I Got For My Birthday & A Shopping Trip To Leeds

It's not long since my What I Got For Christmas blog post but as my birthday was just last week, I thought I'd share some of the presents I got for that too. I feel like whenever anyone does a post like this, we all have to say we're not bragging or anything so yeah I'm not, I just love reading posts like this!

So, one of the first presents from George that I opened was this beautiful candle in the scent Holiday Pomegranate. I've been wanting to try one of the new Elevation candles for months but I'd not got round to it yet (that and the fact I already had about a million to burn over Christmas) so I was so happy to get this. It smells absolutely gorgeous too, just like cherries and apples! 

I then unwrapped lots of beauty bits which was exciting. The new Imperial Leather No Drama Llama FoamBurst smells so sweet, I am obsessed with it already, and sticking with the 'pamper' theme, I also got the Soap and Glory Fizz Set which I spotted just before Christmas. It has their three bath bombs which are something else I've been meaning to try for a long time, and aren't they so pretty? I can't wait to use these. George also got me some Essie nail polishes too which I wasn't expecting! He got me one of their Gel Couture polishes in the shade Surrounded by Studs which is a deep navy colour and I also got the shade Apres Chic. I'm always painting my nails so these are a fab addition to my collection.

A few final bits from George included the loveliest Christopher Robin colouring book which is going to be perfect for days I just need to chill out a bit. I find colouring so relaxing and of course, I adore Winnie the Pooh so it's absolutely perfect. He also got me Kinky Boots on DVD, I'm sure you know by now I'm a huge fan of the musical and the film is just brilliant so I'm so happy to have this. It will be nice to watch now the show has closed! And of course, there had to be some food involved didn't there? I am a chocolate fiend so I was thrilled with the huge bar of Cadbury and the Bournville gift box.

I also got a few lovely gifts from George's brothers too which I totally wasn't expecting. It made my day. Two books which I'm really excited to read - The Guilty Wife and I Know My Name. They also got me Chicago on DVD which I have been after for ages now, I am literally obsessed with the soundtrack. And finally a few food bits which I have thoroughly enjoyed over the last week. More Bournville too so I now have plenty to get through! I also received a few lovely presents from some other people too, mainly bath bombs and beauty bits 🙊

I was totally spoilt this year and I couldn't be more grateful for everything I received. My birthday is never something I particularly look forward to, I much prefer to celebrate other peoples but to say how hard it has been over the last few years, this was completely different. I had the best day and I actually didn't want it to end. Not only did I get some really thoughtful gifts but George and I also had such a nice day out. We went to Leeds which isn't too far from us for a day of shopping and food and it was exactly what I needed.

We had a delicious meal at Bills, somewhere we'd not actually ever been too before and I already want to go back for more. To start we had the best bread board and oils, if there is something like that on a menu, there will never be a time I don't order it, anyone else just LOVE bread?! For mains I had the pan fried chicken with herbed mashed potatoes, long stem broccoli and a truffle and wild mushroom sauce, and George had the steak - both meals were insanely good. And for dessert, because you've got to have one on your birthday, I had the eton mess and George had the pecan pie. It was literally one the best meals out we've ever had!

It was just the best day and the perfect way to start off the month.

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