Gearing Up For Veganuary

I have spent the last couple of days stocking up on vegan items ready for the start of Veganuary tomorrow and I think I'm just about sorted. I don't get much time to prepare meals from scratch so I've opted for products that are quick and easy and that I can just bung in the oven when I get home from a busy day at work. Most of it is vegan junk food so if you you are looking for healthy this probably isn't the place for you. During the whole of January I will be blogging about the meals I eat and the products I use and hope that I don't slip up anywhere.

Until now I have maintained a mainly vegetarian diet with some vegan products thrown in. I already use almond milk on vegan cereal's and in tea and I use dairy free butter and spreads. Already being vegetarian has it's advantages as now all I have to do is cut out the dairy consumption and that's not something I tend to eat a lot of anyway although I must admit I had gone a little down hill during Christmas eating dairy chocolate.

While I'm here I'd like to say how excited I am to finally find 'Vegan Life' magazine in a branch of WH Smiths... I had been looking for it in the shops for ages after I had bought a one off copy at Vegfest. I think my quiet New Years Eve is going to be spent having a good old read.

Lastly I would like to share with you a great find, and if you are lucky you might still be able to get your hands on a copy in 'The Works.' It's the fabulous book by Ms. Cupcake called 'The Naughtiest Vegan Cakes in Town' (bargain price of £5.99) which I intend on actually using. I'm terrible with cook books of any kind... I buy them but then they sit gathering dust but I definitely must make the effort with this one after sampling one of Ms. Cupcakes delicious cupcakes in her Brixton shop this year (one of my highlights).

Enjoy your New Year celebrations and I'll see you on the other side.

Weekly Round-up #5

Firstly, apologies for my absence over the last few weeks, things had started to get a little hectic so I decided to take a little time out from all activities that required my thinking energy. Fortunately everything is starting to slow down now and I am just about ready for Christmas and a much needed break. I have missed three weekly round-ups so I'm hoping to get back on track.

Cosmetics transition complete
I can now proudly announce that my entire make-up collection is cruelty-free thanks to my new found obsession with Marks & Spencer's own brand range 'Autograph' replacing the last few items that I had remaining. I hadn't really taken much notice of their products before but now I've discovered them, I'm hooked.

Not only have they got a fabulous make-up range but they also stock other brands that are cruelty-free, you've only got to look for the leaping bunny. They have some gorgeous cruelty-free bubble baths, moisturisers and body spritzers but also what excited me the most were their selection of cruelty-free perfumes which I tried and tested in the store. I managed to restrain myself as the only thing stopping me from buying some was the fact that I still had a load of perfume at home that I need to use up before I even consider buying more. Anyway, I bought foundation, bronzer, pressed powder and a concealer stick.

I was rather interested in the eye shadows but I still have my 'Barry M' palettes that I have barely used so I had better start with them first.

Usher's Hat

While tuning in to watch 'The Graham Norton show' on Friday evening to see one of my favourite cruelty-free advocates Ricky Gervais, I was horrified to witness that their choice music act Usher was wearing a fur Davy Crockett type raccoon hat, as well as it making him look ridiculously stupid it made me feel physically sick to know that some poor creature died for him to flaunt that on his head. On researching his head wear, I discovered that PETA had already given him stick about it and he had been wearing it since last winter so he can't have learnt anything about it's origin and how much pain and suffering that the animal would have endured in the whole entire year that it's been in his possession.

Some people have no compassion whatsoever and I really hope that Ricky had pointed that out to him back-stage if he had the opportunity. 

Christmas Wishes

Lastly I would like to wish my readers a very Merry (and relaxing) Christmas and a happy, healthy and successful new year.