Delicious Carrot Cake!

Happy Thursday!

One of my favorite comfort foods is carrot cake! Funny as I am not a dessert girl or a pudding freak. Although I just adore eating cake and one of my favorite cake is ''carrot cake.''

It's healthy because it has tons of carrots in it, so you're getting a portion of your daily veg in. Carrot contains vitamin A so good eyesight is also being taken care of. This recipe has crème fraiche, just go easy on the cream! It has nuts too, so that's an extra bonus. So enjoy eating this cake and eating it without any guilt.

Ingredients:

For the cake

• 175g/6oz soft dark brown sugar
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 150ml/5fl oz olive oil (not extra virgin olive oil)
• 200g/7oz wholemeal self-raising flour
• 1 tbsp ground mixed spice
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200g/7oz carrots, peeled, coarsely grated
• 80g/3oz pecan nuts, roughly chopped, plus extra to decorate
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 110g/4oz sultanas
• 25g/1oz raisins
• 50g/2oz desiccated coconut

For the icing

• 250g/9oz crème fraîche or mascarpone
• 250ml/9fl oz double cream
• 2 tbsp icing sugar

For the sugared carrots

• 300g/10½oz baby carrots, washed, with 2.5cm/1in green stalk still on
• pinch salt
• 70g/2½oz caster sugar, plus a little extra
• 50g/1¾oz butter

Instructions:

1. For the cake, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Lightly grease two 20cm/8in round cake tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
3. Whisk the sugar, eggs and olive oil together in a large bowl using an electric hand whisk for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is smooth.
4. Sift the flour, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda into the bowl, tipping in the grains left in the sieve. Stir in gently. Fold the grated carrot, pecan nuts, lemon zest, sultanas, raisins and desiccated coconut into the mixture.
5. Spoon the mixture equally into the two cake tins and smooth the surface of each with a spatula. Bake on the centre shelf of the oven for 35-40 minutes. They should be nicely risen and feel firm and springy to the touch when lightly pressed in the centre; if not, cook for a little longer before testing again. When ready, cool for five minutes before removing the cakes from the tin and cooling completely on a wire rack.
6. For the icing, place all the icing ingredients in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Cover the bowl with cling film and transfer to the fridge for 1-2 hours, until you are ready to ice the cake.
7. For the sugared carrots, place the carrots in a saucepan and just cover with cold water. Add the salt, sugar and butter. Place over a high heat and bring to the boil. Boil for 5-6 minutes - the carrots will cook as the water evaporates and a glaze will form in the base of the pan. Toss the cooked carrots in the glaze and then remove them from the pan to a plate with a bit more caster sugar. Roll them in a little more sugar, and leave to cool.
8. When the cakes are completely cold, spread the icing over the top of each cake and layer them up. Just before serving, scatter a few pecan nuts over the top of the cake and garnish with the sugared carrots.

A quote comes to mind from William W. Purkey, ''You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, love like you'll never be hurt, sing like there's nobody listening, and live like it's heaven on earth.''

Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace.

Spring And Summer Skin Facts!

Happy Tuesday!

We all love the sun, and given a choice we would like sunny weather all year. That is why California, Florida, places in Asia are such popular holiday destinations! Year round sun! Although, with the sun, comes the risk of long term skin damage! The main types of skin damage is fine lines and wrinkles. Over time the sun's UV rays damages fibers in the skin called elastin. The fibers break down, and the skin begins to sag, stretch, and loses its ability to ping back into shape.

Discoloration of the skin. This manifests itself as brown freckles and patches of darker permanent pigmentation on the skin. Broken blood vessels, prolonged exposure to the sun causes this, mainly it appears on the face, especially on the nose. It is harmless but it's ageing. Your skin will try to heal its self by increasing the blood supply to the sun damaged area, resulting in a proliferation of broken blood vessels!

Ways to repair this sun damage to your skin would begin with drinking loads of water. It won't get rid of the wrinkles, but keeping your skin hydrated will improve the appearance of your skin. Improve pigmentation: there are plenty of over the counter products that will improve your pigmentation and bleach brown spots. They are not often as strong as those supplied by a dermatologist but the results are still good. Retinol. This cream can produce new collagen, but they cannot repair the elastin fibers.
Exfoliation is a good way to remove dead skin build-up. A smoother surface will give a nice reflection of light, making skin look even and you can appear younger! Eating foods high in antioxidants. Cherries, walnuts, and asparagus are all good sources of antioxidant melatonin, which protects the skin against UV radiation and stimulates new cell growth!

Have an awesome day and keep smiling xx

Love & Peace

Monday's Thoughts and An Outfit Recommendation!

Happy Monday!

What a beautiful day it was ,about 16 degrees Celsius, no wind, plenty of sunshine and I decided it was a good day to go out jogging. My keep-fit exercise is back on schedule! I tried in the last few weeks to stay away from the keep-fit routine as I'm naturally so slim my pert-derriere is just that !! I have no Kim Kardashian bum and I've been simply wanting to get a bigger bum. I thought if I sat on my arse a lot , it would happen lol , It didn't help and even though it now feels a little more rounded, it's not going to win the booty contest of the year. I've just felt lazy and needed to get back to exercise! Maybe some booty fillers in the jeans but lol that's so fake and I dislike anything fake. We should embrace ourselves and accept ourselves, after all any touch-ups and we'd be like gorgeous John Travolta who now resembles Arnold Schwarzenegger (watch ''The People vs OJ'' and you'll understand!) Kim K is also looking a far cry from the beautiful girl she was! She has a very masculine jawline and features which are truly shocking. If she looked in the mirror she'd see it herself , but the only mirror she sees is the lens of her camera ,taking selfies !!!
Today the lesson of this blog is learning to love yourself and accepting who you are! If you really want to change who you are and become like Kim, do it. If you think it makes you happy , do it ! Because bottom line is, just be a good person. Love everyone, be kind, thoughtful, generous, and don't judge anybody. You never know what they are going through!

Here is a lovely Spring outfit for inspiration. The next days forecast is sunny and mild.

1. floral o-neck a-line chiffon dress / 23 dollars / wealfeel.com
2. cropped denim jacket / 46 euros / Hollisterco.com
3. wedge sandals / 42 dollars / Avon.com
4. Lauren Conrad clutch bag / 35 dollars / Kohls.com
5. blush sunglasses / 28 euros / Sportsgirl.com.au

Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace.

Delicious Sweet and Sour Chicken!

Happy Friday!

Yes, it's the weekend again. That came very soon. This Sunday is Mother's Day and for some reason, my Mum was on my thoughts all day and I happened to think about a dish we ate a lot when I was growing up. It was sweet and sour chicken! One of the favorite variations was sweet & sour trotters. Both were delicious.
Today I want to share with you the recipe of sweet & sour chicken. A quote comes to mind, ''There is no sight on earth more appealing than the sight of a women making dinner for someone she loves.'' -- Thomas Wolfe.

Sweet and sour chicken.

Ingredients:
sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying
100ml soda water, chilled
140g self-raising flour
25g cornflour
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
spring onions, finely shredded, to serve
for the sauce:
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped into chunks
3 red chillies, 1 cut into chunks, 2 halved and deseeded
425g can pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved
4 star anise
50g tamarind paste
100g caster sugar
100ml rice wine vinegar or Chinese vinegar

Instructions:
1. For the sauce, put the red pepper, chunks of chilli and pineapple juice in a pan and bring to the boil. Cover and cook for 10 mins, then purée in a food processor. Return to the pan with the pineapple chunks, chilli halves, star anise, tamarind, sugar and vinegar. Gently simmer for 20-30 mins until reduced and sticky. Keep warm, or reheat to serve.
2. Fill a large pan 1cm deep with oil and heat until shimmering. Whisk the soda water and 100ml cold water into the self-raising flour with a little salt. Tip the cornflour onto a plate, line a tray with kitchen paper and turn on the oven to low.
3. Stir the batter well. Dust the chicken with cornflour, then dip into the batter. One at a time, lower into the hot oil (about 5-6 every batch). Turn up the heat to keep the chicken frying, if needed, and cook for 5-6 mins, turning once. When cooked, drain on the tray, and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Stack onto a plate with the warm sauce on the side, and scatter with shredded spring onions.

Have an awesome day and keep smiling.

Love & Peace.

The Lash Effect!

Thoughts and prayers for all the victims and their families affected by today's terror attack at #Westminster . Our first thoughts are with all the police, medical staff being on hand and doing their best for the protection of the people. The police man guarding the doors of Parliament house is the hero,  who lost his life yet all the newspapers of tomorrow feature the violent man who mowed down people and killed the police man. When will the news stop featuring these insane people, instead of him being carried off in a stretcher , how about throwing his body in the boot of the car! Prayers for London. May the world become a better place soon. No more war! Peace and love and all good things!

Today's blog features beautiful eyelashes to enhance your everyday make up look. Make your peepers the window to your soul. Be beautiful and live beautiful. Love, kindness, and generosity which I am blessed , to feel every day. May that be with you too.

Here are some of my picks of great eyelashes to get you started:
1. Cheryl by Eyl Lashes - First Date / 5.95 pounds / Superdrug.com
2. Lash Eyelashes Intense volume #30 / 4.19 pounds / Superdrug.com
3. Fleur De Force - Simply Fleur / 5.95 pounds / Boots.com
4. No7 Eyelashes Extreme Length / 7.50 pounds / Boots.com
5. Kiss Featherlight Lash / 3.99 pounds / Boots.com

Keep smiling.

Love & Peace.

Spring Bralettes!

Happy Monday!

Today is the first day of Spring, but it rained and rained all day with temperatures just about reaching the 6 degree mark. The wind was so cold, I can say Spring has not truly arrived. Today also happened to be happiness day but I passionately feel the word ''happy'' is so overrated and nobody reaches that happy state of mind in reality. The world has so changed in the last decade or two , which makes happiness an art form! I have been watching the Netflix series, ''The people vs. OJ'' which I remember very well and followed it in 1994 when it occurred . Around that time it was big news and dominated the press full time. There were no wars, no terrorism going on. The world was peaceful. How things have changed to all the ugliness we see today . No I am not truly happy. I would any day trade the word happy for peace of mind, and able to live the rest of my life with no worries, being looked after, and having a partner to look after me and be there for support, love, and old age when it comes. No, I dislike the word happy in actual fact but surviving, living, coping, and not being a victim are words for the modern day masses . People, paying bills, running a house hold, responsibility, children, are realities of today.

On another note, clothes, friends, meeting new people are distractions to temporarily take us to that elevated state of happiness. So here are some pretty bralettes in fashion to kick start the mood for Spring.

1. Lace bralette / 28 dollars / humblechic.com
2. Strappy bralette / 15 dollars / target.com
3. front-close bralette / 18 euros / victoriassecret.com
4. only hearts bralette / 46 dollars / journelle.com
5. dotted mesh and lace bralette / 13 dollars / wetseal.com

6. lace crop top / 17 dollars / Amazon.com

Hope you are having an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace. 

Jump Racing At Its Best - The Cheltenham Festival!

Good Morning / Afternoon / Evening / Night wherever you are in your day, I hope you are smiling a big cheesy grin!

It's Saturday and you could be forgiven if you woke up with a heavy head hung over. It was the last day of Cheltenham yesterday and it was also St. Patrick's Day so you had every excuse to drink a little more than you should. As to why they decided to make the beer green, don't ask me. I like my beer looking like beer and if it was some sort of coloring , it was definitely yucky. Instead I went for cocktails it looked more appetizing! Cheltenham sprung a few surprises. My three favorite horses sadly lost. Vroom Vroom Mag seemed invincible but couldn't live up to everyone's expectations. Another favorite of mine, Neon Wolf, who I was in no doubt would pull off an easy win, was disappointing. The commentator was all praise for Neon Wolf in the run up, ''the wolf will devour the field.'' ''Wolves eat their prey alive, so it's going to be special,'' but that was that and the wolf became a lamb to the slaughter! And as my father always said things happen in threes, I didn't put any money on my third favorite horse, absolutely positive it wouldn't win and it didn't. Death Duty a short price favorite all day but was so far back in the field I don't know what happened. The official result said it unseated its rider. Sure looks better , than coming 10th!
The Gold Cup (the highlight of the last day, Friday), was won by a beautiful black horse which was magnificently huge called Sizing John. A suitable name indeed! It gave the trainer, a woman, Jessica Harrington, her first gold cup winner. A beautiful performance and very well deserved. Although why the Gold Cup is not a huge majestic trophy, I don't know. It was swallowed up in Robbie Power's hands , and looked tiny. The champion hurdle trophy on the other hand is so large and heavy -- it's truly impressive!
The festival ended with Gordon Elliott being top trainer and Ruby Walsh bagging the most wins which I always knew would happen. The Irish came out better than the English. Was it 10 to 6, not sure, but thrilled for them. They are often the hardest working people and Ireland is of course home of horse racing!

Seems like this blog has turned out to be all about Cheltenham when I intended a whole other topic but as I love horse racing so much I couldn't put a lid on my enthusiasm. Hope you enjoyed reading this and you are having an awesome day. Keep smiling and remember nothing in life is free except the grace of God!

Love & Peace.

Mother's Day is on Sunday the 26th !

Happy Thursday!

The weekend is almost here , so we have still a whole week to plan because next weekend we all have a reason to celebrate, it's Mother's Day. Every person has a mother whether yours is living or dead we have all felt the warmth, love, caring that only a mother can have for her child without bias and without prejudice. A mother's love is special and only until you become a parent can you open your heart to love a person so much, more than yourself. So with Mother's Day this Sunday don't forget to make your Mum feel special even if you don't live in the same country, county, or neighborhood. Make sure you send her a card and write a few special sentences for her And I mean writing. Not on social media but with your own handwriting which she loves to see. Do you know when I see my children's writing, I secretly see if their handwriting is anything like mine or my Mother's or Dad's because I just like to see if they inherit things like that. Now a card is not enough. Send her a bunch of flowers and if you can also afford a little gift as well. And if I don't sound too demanding for your mother's, make sure you get your two legs walking or driving to her house if it's close enough. Otherwise phone her, phone her, phone her. Please. I remember my Mum was never too busy to talk to me and it could be long, long conversations. Nobody has time for you like your Mum and remember you can always tell your Mum anything because she's always ready to listen to her child.
Last of all, I have a little story to share that I read somewhere a little while ago. A mother was walking with her six year old son alongside a river which was very rough and there were some stones they had to step over to get to the other side. The Mum said to her son, ''Hold my hand, I don't want you to fall,'' The little boy said, ''No Mum, you hold my hand because if I slip I might let your hand go, but if you hold my hand you will never let go.'' It moved my heart because that little boy was so true. A Mum will never let your hand slip!
Love your Mum while you can and if she's dead, be thankful and grateful God blessed you with a very special Mum who loved and wanted you! She never had an abortion.

Have an awesome day and keep smiling.

Love & Peace.

Re-looking Resolutions For 2017!

 Happy Tuesday!

 Thought I would re-post a blog from the beginning of 2017 , January . How soon has time flown and we are already in the third month of this year!  Have you all kept up with the New Year's Resolutions and good intentions? Maybe this blog will inspire and motivate everybody to get going again, if you have failed to carry through!

 The New Year is well under-way. It's the 5th of January and by now you have probably started up a detox January, curbed your spending after splashing out in December. And made up a list of New Year resolutions! Among all the good things, January is bringing a new president to the white house. Definitely a sign that God wants things better in the world. With the way the democrats are behaving and not accepting their loss, is a disgrace. They should not be provoking Russia. Peacefulness and no war is all we want in this world - love and peace. Let us make it our number one priority on our New Year resolution chart!
 The next things on the list we should focus on is to always find time for the things that make us happy and feel alive.
 Third, is to always try to eat healthy ,  now we all want to live forever (not me). So be healthy without greed - i.e. eat pizza, but not more than a slice or two. Eat more colorful vegetables, add spices to your food. Cut out all fizzy drinks but never give up alcohol. A glass of wine or beer is good for your health, contrary to what people might think. Put a little cheese in your diet, it strengthens your bones. Likewise, if you have milk don't go for low-fat. Full fat is the healthy option. Put in the exercise. Everyday, go out for a walk or jog. Even if it means just window shopping in your city (walking around 3/4 hours) - do it!
 Save some money. Get a jar, put in all your coins. Anything from 20p to the pound. I read somewhere that this year everyone is attempting to do the five pound challenge. It just means each time you are handed a five pound note, don't use it. Put it away in a box and save it for a year without counting. Just surprise yourself at the end of the year! Give yourself a treat, life is short so don't brush yourself aside. A small treat or a big one if you can afford it. Go ahead and do it. Buy a nice perfume and use it everyday! Smell nice, put on lipstick, even if you are just going down to the shops.
 Always have time to listen to someone even if they are ranting. Allow yourself to be angry. It's good against stress and cry if you have to. If you feel really badly about someone, it's okay to cut them off. You are not God and it's okay to be human and slap down dickheads and arseholes!

Hope you enjoyed all my tips.

Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace.

Spring Wisdom & An Outfit Recommendation!

Happy Saturday,

The weekend is a welcome relief. No guilt in sleeping late, breakfast and lunch can be combined together. There's racing on telly nothing can top that. Except of course tickets to a day at the races. With Spring almost in the air, there's nothing better than pulling yourself off the sofa and getting some fresh air seeing the daisies in the fields, the tulips, and violets coming into bloom. Bottom line, get active. Go for a long walk. Get jogging, Spring clean your house, your wardrobe. Maybe even give yourself a makeover. Start with your hair. What is very fashionable and in at the moment is ice-blonde hair. As a lot of celebrities are going for at the moment. Silver grey is also super cool and it is the one I am aiming to achieve. Of course it takes a long process as I am a brunette and I am slowly working my hair through the colors and getting it lighter. It will probably take a whole month to achieve but we always need patience to achieve our goals! The saying, ''Rome was not built in a day,'' comes to mind!

A little piece of information I'd love to share. In Japan, broken objects are often repaired with gold. The flaw is seen as a unique piece. It's the object's history which adds to its beauty. Always consider and remember this when you feel broken!

Here is my outfit recommendation for a Spring day. Thankfully, those days are just around the corner!

1. Khaki flower slim fit trousers / 50 euros / riverisland.com
2. choker long sleeve blouse white / 21 dollars / boohoo.com
3. stiletto heel leather white / 40 dollars / Zaful.com
4. faux patent tassel bag / 28 euros / gojane.com
5. drop earrings / 3 dollars / rosegal.com
6. gold and silver cuff bracelet / 18 euro / Belk.com

Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace.

Periods - A Taboo Subject, Not Only in India!

Happy Thursday!

It was a beautiful day even if the wind roared and it was so blustery that it didn't seem like Spring was to arrive in ten days. Made sure I wrapped up warm and dreamed of wearing a pretty dress, no tights, sandals, loose hair and not a care in the world. The year is promising to be a good one and it just might make my day dreams come true. Today as I perused the internet I came across the article about Meghan Markle having recently penned a piece (an empowering) letter about periods and how it is a taboo subject , after recently visiting India! Well, I just had a few views , on that topic .Periods anywhere is not freely spoken about. Try asking your dad or brother to go down to the shops and get you some pads! By penning that letter she was sure to get a lot of notice (not that she needs any. Dating Harry has made her famous enough!) Yes, everyone can feel very sympathetic about the conditions of these slum dwellers and the unfortunate in India, but tell me where in that empowering letter does she give any solutions to solving their immediate problems? These problems have been there for as long as I know,  and all people do is talk about it. If she doesn't help contribute financially toward these slum dwellers it's a fact they will continue to use rags instead of pads.
It's far-fetched to suggest in the letter that the girls don't attend school anymore because of their periods. It's more likely that the culture doesn't want them to educate themselves further and perhaps want to marry them off on reaching maturity. After all, periods never ever stopped female laborers in India. Yes, women help at building sites carrying bricks on their heads and working with the mixing of sand and cement. There is a lot more complex things going on then Ms. Markle's article suggests. That's my take on the period situation. Was it only about seven to ten years ago that they actually developed and manufactured pads for night time use which is extra long so there's no leakage at night? I don't think it's been on the market longer. So periods need to be spoken about more often here in the West as well! Yes, we also get crippling pains with periods and PMS. It's very real. It does improve as you get older but all those men looking out for young women, make sure you can also deal with all their moods and erratic behavior. Last of all, period sex. Yes, that's great Ms. Markle. We are not embarrassed to say it. Yes, talk about periods all over the world. Don't start with third world countries.

Have an awesome day and keep smiling.

Love & Peace.

Spring Fashion!

Happy Tuesday!

March has finally arrived. We can't wait for Spring daffodils, tulips, and all the beautiful colors! Today's fashion inspiration is the latest fashion trend, neon! Layer your clothes with vibrant colors to combat all the grey clouds, fog and never ending rain of recent!

This week is not only about bright colors, but bright colors in somebody's life. Be there for them if they're feeling low. Always find the time to talk!

All items available online in the list below.

Left:

Sleeveless bodycon dress / 22 pounds / pilotuk.com
loose woolen pink coat / 38 dollars / romwe.com
Marina Galanti Handbag / 18 pounds / Yoox.com
Platform Pumps / 21 dollars / charlotterusse.com

Right:

Check Coat / 70 AUD / Yoins.com
Neon Wedge / 13 dollars / Wholesalefashionshoes.com
Molly Leggings / price unknown / Riverisland.se
Long sleeve Yellow Sweater / 48 AUD / Withchic.com

Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace !

Delicious Guacamole!

Happy Sunday!

Guacamole is perhaps one of my favorite things. Avocados are very healthy and can be added to salads everyday. But if you make this tasty guacamole and keep it in your fridge, whenever you open a bag of Nachos or when you sit down to your main meal you can have this tasty dip! (Homemade and healthy) to tuck into! This recipe is a bit spicy with a delightful kick and you will enjoy tucking into it, just anytime!

Ingredients:
1 small red onion finely chopped
2 little green chillies finely chopped (or 1 if you prefer)
2 teaspoons of salt
4 ripe Avocados
Juice of 1 to 2 limes
A handful of freshly chopped coriander

Instructions:
Put half the onion, half the chilli and the salt in a pestle and mortar and grind into a rough paste. In a large bowl, cut open the avocados, take out the stones scoop out the flesh and with a fork mash it up adding the lemon juice as you go.
Stir in your mash of onion and chillies along with the rest of your chilli lime juice and chopped coriander.
Season with black pepper and salt if you think it needs more. It's ready to serve and keeps a couple of days in the fridge! Enjoy! For a little extra something to mine I add a pinch of Cumin powder ..it's my secret ingredient for the guacamole!

Have an awesome day and keep smiling.

Love & Peace.

Inspirational Advice & A Gorgeous Outfit!

Happy Friday!

It rained continuously today and the temperature stayed around 5-6 degrees. I love the beautiful rain. It feels like it washes away the bad, negativity, and leaves behind a clean fresh slate. If life is a roller coaster it continuously throws me in all directions. I must be used to all the bumps and jerks along the way. If I think hard I sometimes wonder why can't people be alone for awhile? If one relationship goes wrong they rush into the arms of someone - literally anyone even if it's an ex! An ex is an ex for a reason. Things didn't work out once! Don't find love, let love find you. That's why it's called ''falling in love.'' Because you don't force yourself to fall, you just fall! To find the right person you sometimes have to wait. Be patient. The right person will come along. We should not settle because you will know it when the right person hits your radar! I have never settled and will never settle for the wrong person. What's most important is being strong in yourself and knowing where you are heading and what you want! An inspirational quote comes to mind, ''You don't really know who you are, until you stop being who you aren't!'' - La Funk.

A nice weekend outfit. Set your Saturday alight whether you are out shopping, or hitting the dating scene, This dress works all the time!

1. Choker shift dress / 28 dollars / Boohoo.com
2. thigh high socks / 6 pounds / Asos.com
3. Black boots / 44 dollars / Zaful.com
4. earrings / 41 euros / veryexclusivee.co.uk
5. mother of pearl watch / 49 dollars / Jomashop.com
6. vegan leather clutch / 28 euros / norstromrack.com

Have an awesome day and keep smiling.

Love & Peace.

Fashionable Dungarees For Spring!

Hello March!

We are two months down in the year and meteorological Spring was here today. The sun shone brightly and all the ducks at the farm made their way down to the stream. It was a beautiful day. For the Welsh it was St. David's day and for us Roman Catholics today we celebrated Ash Wednesday. That's the beginning of Lent which leads up to Good Friday when Jesus died on the cross and three days later at Easter he rose from the dead to show us there was life ever after and that he was the son of God. So during Lent people make sacrifices to show their devotion to God and sometimes for special favors. People generally give up something they love. Chocolate, alcohol, scratch cards, Facebook, going to movies etc. This year with a lot of my friends  going off Facebook (that sacrifice would be too much for me!) I decided I'm not going to give up anything after all life is about so much sacrificing, I couldn't live with denying myself anything more. Life is also about pleasures don't feel bad about doing something good for yourself -- it's okay. We don't have to sacrifice to prove anything to God. We are here to lead good lives, be loving toward each other, generous to our neighbors and most of all peace-loving. If we can do all of these things we are achieving much more than sacrificing one thing during Lent.
Today, children in England found out if they had their first choice of secondary school or not. I hope every single child had the joy of attaining their first selection. My son was lucky enough to get his wish and I feel blessed.

This Spring, dungarees is in fashion. Here are my personal favorites. Hope you like them.

 1. Embroidered dungarees / 24 euros / Boohoo.com
2. distressed dungarees / 22 dollars / Boohoo.com
3. khaki dungarees / 37 dollars / Boohoo.com
4. mid blue patchwork dungarees / 20 pounds / Glamorous.com

Have an awesome day and keep smiling.

Love & Peace.