Creamy Vanilla Porridge with Spiced Pear Compote

The chilly weather of Autumn isn't my favourite but there are many things about this season that I absolutely love! The layered fashion, the cosy nights in and most of all the warming comfort food and drinks that come with the colder months.

I am currently trying to make healthier decision with what I eat as I haven't been feeling 100% lately and I wanted to see if it was anything to do with the food I am eating. Some of my favourite foods at the moment are pears, anything lightly spiced and avocados (even though they aren't Autumnal). For breakfast this weekend I decided to try and make my own porridge with a pear compote and it turned out so well I wanted to share the recipe with you.

INGREDIENTS
Porridge
2 cups Scottish Oats / 150ml of Whole Milk (or dairy free alternative) / 3 drops of Vanilla Extract

Pear Compote
3 Ripe Pears / Handful of Raisins / Handful of Walnuts / 2 Teaspoons of Cinnamon & Nutmeg
/ Tablespoon Coconut Oil / 2 Tablespoons of Maple Syrup

METHOD
Peel, core and chop your pears and add them to a non-stick pan. Turn up the heat and add in all the rest of
your ingredients. Cook this mixture for about 10 minutes or until your pears are soft, stirring occasionally.

While your compote cooks, add your oats to a small pan and add in your choice of milk. Stir
continuously until the porridge is at the consistency you like it. Add in your vanilla
half way through cooking and stir for a few more minutes and then your ready to serve!

Add in your porridge to the bowl and top with the chunky compote. There will be enough
for another serving so put it in tupperware for your next breakfast.

Enjoy
Love Khrissie

Mums on the Go Afternoon Tea

Its that time of year where we all tell our mums how much we love them and how they are the best mums in the world. No, literally mine is the best! I think this is a wonderful day of the year as many of us cannot survive without our mums, and I am definitely one of them. I ring her on a daily basis and shes always there for chats and giggles whenever I need her but I hardly get to see her in person.

Shes in Essex and I'm in London and although its not forever away, it does make it difficult to make the time to see each other to spend some quality time, making happy memories. Mothers Day is the one day I always make sure I am there for her wherever I am and its always a reminder that I should make more of these days throughout the year as you really need to make the most of the time you have.

There are lots of people in my life without their mums or nans this year and it makes me terribly sad. I cant imagine a day where you want nothing more than to see your mum and you cant. So let that be a reminder that time really is precious!

To mark the occasion I took my mum to The Orangery the Kensington Palace for afternoon tea* as part of the 'Mums on the go' campaign with WatchShop, so we could relax and have a good catch up over delicious food. The staff there were fabulous and attentive with perfectly bright smiles and huge charisma. The tea comes to you quickly, served on beautifully decorated bone china plates with assortments of sandwiches, scones and delightful sweet treats. The scones were to die for and I had a particular love for the perfectly portioned lemon eclair. yum! If only there was more of those.

The food was quickly scoffed but we managed to savour one for my sister to try as she was joining us later on. I would highly recommend The Orangery to anyone who loves afternoon tea. The views are stunning from the windows too so its a great place to sit if you want to escape the bustle of the city.

This was my mums first experience at an afternoon tea and she loved it. I definitely want to make more time do try new things with her this year. Id love to take her out of her comfort zone and try and skydive and also go to comedy nights, have a nice meal in a tall building and even take her to a silent disco and she does love to dance.

Mum, your the best and I will always try and make time for you, no matter how busy we get.
What are some things you would love to do with your mum if you had more time together?

Happy mothers day to everyone, my thoughts are with all of you!
Love Khrissie x

*some of the costs were covered by the Moms on the go campaign by Watchshop to help give some recognition to all that mums go and with not much time to do it. This was about spending quality time with your mum with the minutes you do have, as every second counts with your loved ones

Ideas: A Lazy Weekend

So there is nothing better than having your days off at the end of the week to enjoy yourself, relax, indulge and experience new things. I see as Fridays and Saturdays as my days for getting out of the house and doing fun things and Sundays as my relaxed day. Lately my Saturdays have been my chilled day as I haven't been feeling too good and so when it gets to Sunday I feel like I need to do something.

Dont get me wrong, its still a chilled out day but sometimes I just can't handle sitting around all day as I feel like I'm wasting my life away, so I've put a list together of little things you can do on your day off that make it a little bit more interesting.

1/ Making snacks ready for a film or a TV marathon
So sometimes there is nothing better than getting cosy in your dressing gown and sitting down with some treats to watch a film or catching up on your favourite shows. Instead of buying in some snacks full of bad things why not make your own? This will help you accomplish something in the day and also help to improve your cooking skills.

Now I'm a little addicted to popcorn at the moment and it can be such a simple thing to make. Buy some popcorn kernels, add half a cup to a saucepan with some coconut oil or butter, put a lid on and watch them pop away. All you need to do it make sure you shake the pot now and then so non of them get stuck to the bottom and add your flavourings. You can just add sugar and a pinch of salt or if your feeling extra naughty drizzle some chocolate over the top! yum!

Another thing that is really easy to make are cookies! I always whip these up on random occasions as they take less than 20 minutes and taste a lot better than the ones you find in the supermarket. You can try my 'Chocolate Tea' flavoured ones here or just change the recipe and miss out the tea leaves and mix in chocolate chunks instead or if your feeling health conscious you can try this 'Coconut Tart'

Tea flavoured cookies dipped in chocolate 

Gluten-Free coconut bites (tart)

2/ Yoga
I've done yoga here and there over the past few years but I haven't really stuck to it but when I do take part in a class or follow a yoga video I feel so much better in myself. Yoga helps you to reflect on the positives in your life and get rid of all the negative vibes that are dragging you down. Its also a form of exercise which releases good endorphins which will make you feel better anyway.

So in the comfort of your own home grab a mat or blanket, turn on youtube and either follow a session from your laptop or connect it to your TV with a HDMI cable. No one will have to judge you but you will feel much better for it when you are finished.

3/ Plan a weekend away with your loved ones
So todays the day when you really don't want to do anything so why not take the time to plan a little break away? Everyone needs some 'me' time or just a moment to get away from the stresses of everyday life and enjoy what is around you. I done this the other weekend and now I have something to plan and look forward to.

Me and Nick have planned a 2 day getaway in Graffham, West Sussex in a cute little flat that we found on Air BnB. Its set in a little town where we can go for walks, have lunches at a local pub and enjoy the quiet life of the countryside. Its going to be a great time for us to spend some quality time together and really enjoy each other company without worries about the daily chores we need to get done. There are hundreds of places on Air BnB you can check out and you can get a lot of them for a great price and in locations that hotels dont offer you.

Source: Air BnB 

I am already dreaming of staying in a log cabin in the heart of Scotland where there is a hot tub and beautiful scenery around us, I mean, how dreamy does that sound? So grab a notebook and start a Whats App group and get your next trip planned. It doesn't have to be expensive like a holiday abroad but you can have just as much fun because its about the company you keep, not where you keep it.

4/ Write a letter
The world we are living in right now is becoming more of a digital one as the months go by. Gone are the days when we need to make a effort to talk to someone by either travelling to their house for a catchup or writing a letter and telling them about your day, all it takes is a quick facebook message or a text and thats it. The only thing with this is that the communication is short and sweet and not really meaningful.

Now we all love a bit of stationary and what better excuse than to buy your own writing set? There are lots of beautiful ones out there so head down to your nearest Paperchase or purchase one online and get writing! Here are a few of my favourites:

Source: Paperchase Art Deco Set (left) & Paperchase Parisian Set (right)

Source: Etsy Writing kit with box

 5/ Go to a Car Boot

If your a pinterest fanatic like most of us then you are going to love a good car boot sale. There are always little gems hidden away which would make the perfect DIY project. Buy an unwanted chair or bedside table, sand it down and re paint it. Spray an old ornament or lamp stand copper. All done for pennies but way more satisfying than finding something triple the price in a shop. 

Give your area a good google for some car boots and head down one weekend. You will be surprised what you can find when you have a good nose around. 

I hope you have enjoyed this post and I have inspired you to do something different with your day!

I will add a few more things when I get the time so watch this space. 

Enjoy your lazy day no matter what you do.

Love Khrissie x

Beauty | Autumn Nail Varnish Picks

Today I thought I would share with you my Autumn polish picks from my collection that I will be grabbing a lot over the nest few months. This month has been one of the craziest yet and we're only half way through! Its nice to say I can actually relax and do what I want today, no packing or worrying about setting up the internet. Just a day of seeing family and getting my head back together, I'll carry on worrying tomorrow...

First up are my more 'Autumn' colours. Pink and red hues are perfect transitional colours into the colder months and represent the October leaves as they start to turn those gorgeous golden colours.

Ciate Mini in Boudoir is a red polish I tend to always grab, even in the warmer months but giving that its perfect for A/W, especially with a matching red lip I have an even better excuse to wear it even more. This is what I would call a pillarbox red so it would suit any skin tone and it lasts pretty well on the nail too!

Topshop in Blitz it one of my all time favourites. I havent seen online in a while so I'm not sure if its discontinued or if it will come back in stock, but it needs to! This is such a gorgeous magenta toned polish with gold and green sparkle running through it, which reflects perfectly in the light. Great for parties or evenings out or to add some glamour to your everyday look. 

Kiko in 243 plum red is a new addition to my collection. As the name tell you its a plum red shade which is the perfect amount of purple to red ratio which I just love on my fair skintone.

Avon in Noir Emerald is THE most gorgeous colour! Everything about this polish is perfect from the radiant shimmer to the blue mermaid like hues running through it! Get on my nails please and never come off!

Topshop in Plume is another gorgeous metallic which I can't get enough of. Perfect for when it hits party season and the LBDs come out. This is quite an icy metallic colour, full of shimmer and different hues of colour which changes colour in different light. I personally love the pink flect running through it, its just so pretty I cant take my eyes off it.

Topshop in Awol is the nicest hue of blue I have come across in a nail varnish, I just love how bright it is without being too summery. I thought it would be the perfect colour when I want to mix it up a bit with my dark metallics.

What is your favourite A/W nail polish?
Khrissie x