Radio Silence, Third year sucks

Wow, its like I shut my eyes and the last month or so flew by and now all of a sudden its December! Remember this post way back in the start of September about my thoughts on third year? Well third year is hard and well it hit me hard.

A combination of being a guinea pig on a new module and the UCU strike (thank heavens that has been suspended until January) have led to me being back on anxiety medication, something that hasn't happened for almost 4 years. They're really helping though and its true, you really shouldn't be afraid of asking for help when you need it. Please don't suffer in silence if you are going through what I did at  the start of the Semester.

So other than 12 hour library days, what else have I been up to?

1. Eating chocolate cake and still losing a little weight! 
I've been trying to adopt a healthier life style lately, and whilst I have still been eating cake like this, I have been doing so in moderation and I have also joined the gym. Although it is nothing drastic, I feel a lot more confident and I am actually starting to enjoy exercise, something quite ground-breaking for the girl who used to skip PE!

2. Social media dissertation project
Everyone who knows me personally, will agree that I am permanently on my phone looking at some form of social media so I am really enjoying experimenting what kind of impact using different kinds of social media has on the interaction and engagement of students.

3. Taylor Swift 1989 (+Buying Concert Tickets!)
As a rare Taylor Swift Fan who has been so since the VERY start, I was beyond excited about the release of 1989, despite the move to pop and it is safe to say I LOVE IT. Like a lot. I also managed to score myself the BEST seat I have EVER had for one of her concerts in June. As you can probably tell, I get very excited about all things Taylor Swift related.

4.Applying for my PGCE
I have sent off my application and so far things seem to be going well. I really hope this pays off so please keep all of your fingers crossed for me!


I feel a LOT better now that I have admitted that I am not coping as well as I could be with third year and at times I succumb to the pressure to share the cherry picked aspects of my life on my blog, but for now- its going to be a mix of ups and downs,  As Robbie Williams said, life is a roller-coaster, just gotta ride it.

Things That Made Me Happy #8

This week saw my 22nd Birthday on Sunday! I got well and truly spoilt by all of my friends and family, and yes, I'M FEELING TWENTY TWO! *starts humming Taylor Swift* It was my last week at home before I head back to Bangor tomorrow to start my third year which is also my final year. I'm definitely feeling like I should feel like more of an adult than I currently do. On to the things that have made me happy this week:

1. Discovering eco friendly cafes: On Friday I headed over to Liverpool with my best friend for a mix of birthday celebrations and goodbyes before we both set back off, We stumbled on a really cool cafe which I will be doing a full review of later on in the week :)

2. Getting a Coke bottle with my name on: When you have a name like Loretta, it is not very often that you can find your name on things so when my dogs (yes they are quite the savvy online shoppers) got me one for my birthday, I may have gotten a tad excited!

3. Shopping for new gym clothes: I have decided that I am going to join the gym when I get back to University, mainly for the classes and swimming pool but I am hoping that it will give me a good way to release all of the stresses of third year!

4. Downton Abbey! I am not entirely sure this one needs explaining?! Don't expect to hear from me for the next 8 Sunday evenings :P

5. Getting University Work: Whilst waking up to a 126 item reading list was not the highlight of my week, getting back into the habit of studying and preparing for third year has been more enjoyable than I anticipated!


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Student Cooking: Old El Paso Enchiladas

One of the things that I found most daunting when moving to University was definitely the notion of cooking for yourself! As I prepare to move back to Bangor on Tuesday, I decided that it would be a good time to start sharing some of my favourite recipes or meals that I like to make during term time and share recipes that anyone can have a go at! If you have any requests then please let me know! 

As I mentioned in this post me and my boyfriend decided to have a go at making our own Enchiladas at the weekend and having had previous success with their fajitas kits we thought that this kit was most definitely worth a try!

The kit itself contains soft tortillas which stand up on their own and are considerably less messy to eat on a date night than traditional enchiladas as well as herbs to add to your sour cream and a sauce for your mince. The only additional ingredients we needed where tomatoes, lettuce (both of which were already in our fridge), mince, grated cheese and some sour cream- a fairly simple and shopping basket. 

First off, mix your herb sachet in with the sour cream and set aside in the fridge for later (We used a sachet from McDonalds, cost 20p)

Next, chop the tomatoes into thin slices and also set aside in the fridge for later. 

Heat up a small amount of olive oil in a pan and add in your mince for browning (We used a 500g pack of beef mince from Aldi costing £1.99)

Once your mince is brown, add in the sachet of sauce and stir through until coated evenly. 

Then stir in 50g of grated cheese (We used pre-grated cheese from Aldi, costing £1.49 for 250g).

Next heat up your tortillas in the microwave and part fill with the beef mixture. 

Finally top with some shredded lettuce, your sliced tomatoes and sour cream from earlier and then sprinkle with cheese and Instagram to your hearts content. 

The kit itself cost £2 (on offer from £3 in Sainsburys) and the rest of the ingredients cost us £3.68 meaning that it was £5.68 in total for us both and there was even enough left over for his tea on Monday night bringing it in at around £1.90 a portion; this is slightly more than my usual teas cost but for a date night or in favour of getting a take away its definitely a more budget friendly option! 

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