Charlie Lavin

Like the rest of the nation I have  taken up baking during lock down and enjoyed eating all of my creations. I started out easy with classic cookies and flapjacks (See my post for an easy recipe) and then ventured into bread baking. After a while I fancied a new challenge and saw myself as quite the Mary Berry. A few friends posted their Cinnamon Rolls on Insta and I was convinced. I have such   a sweet tooth so Cinnamon Rolls are my idea of a good time. Long story short- they were not meant to be. They failed massively and provided my Instagram followers with a lot of amusement. I saw the funny side, however I wasn’t rushing back to try again anytime soon. I let my pride and perfectionism stop me from trying again. I accepted that because it wasn’t a one time wonder creation that it simply was not meant to be. To some people this will seem OTT and dramatic. However I know I’m not alone in feeling like I have to smash it first time. I was chatting to a good f

Hello Hello! I don’t know about you, but lockdown for me has consisted of a lot of thinking and reflection time. Just before lockdown, my relationship ended which meant I suddenly had ALLLL the time in the world to process. This has been such a blessing (Mostly… some days a curse) being able to come home and have some healing of the heart time. I have learnt a ton about myself- good, the bad and the downright ugly sides that come out. However, I know this journey has only just begun, so LET’S GOO! I wanted to come and chat about something that God is teaching me SO much about right now. I have been working my way through a book titled ‘Boundaries’ by Cloud and Townsend. In short, I think every person should go and read it because it will likely change you. I wanted to share my thoughts as I read this book and hopefully give you a chance to think about this for yourself. I didn’t realise how much I needed boundaries until I hit the point where every area

Hey friends!  It’s been a while right.... lockdown has been such a turbulence of emotions. I went from having uni work to complete and almost feeling overwhelmed, to then having nothing to do.  But I want to be an authentic writer and have the confidence to post whether I’m in a good state of mind or not. I love writing and it truly brings me alive. So I definitely need to do it more!  Anyway I wanted to share a SUPER easy and yummy recipe. If you’re a pro baker, then you may want to stop reading haha. I used an already easy BBC Good Food recipe and made it EVEN easier.  You will need:  • 250g Porridge oats  • 125g Melted butter  • 125g light brown sugar  • 3 tbsp golden syrup  • Dried fruit/chocolate/any topping (Optional)  1. Pre-heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.  2. Mix porridge oats, melted butter, sugar and golden syrup in a mixing bowl.  3. Add topping of choice/leave plain.  4. Press into a greased tin and cook for 15 minutes.  5. Leave to set and cool down before you take

Hello! I hope everyone is staying safe and well, despite everything going on. I was watching the sun set a few evenings ago and naturally, I got myself into a deep thought cycle. Which isn't uncommon for me, as I am a big fan of the whole DMC's. As I was watching a rather beautiful day end, I had a few realisations which were very bittersweet, and I thought I would share with you all.  Captured a little too late, but very beautiful still! I'm a big sucker for nature and just being in Gods' beautiful creation, so just watching a sun setting is one of the most peaceful places for me. I feel so blessed that a place like Bournemouth is home, as it's where I've seen some of the most picturesque sun sets.  It was during my time in Bournemouth that I fell in love with the sun and its different episodes. For me sun sets bring all kinds of memories, such as falling in love, being thankful another day at work was done, worshipping Jesus as the sun

Hey pals!  I know COVID-19 is probably one of the most talked about topics right now, but I am trying to spread a lil light despite it. So, hang in here!  Yellow is hands down my favourite colour! I've seen endless quotes on social media about coming out of this pandemic with new skills, hobbies, interests etc. All very valid and if you have the head space, then go for it! I have gotten into running properly and have truly gained a love for it. I never expected that to happen haha.  However, I am so aware that this is not a normal time and therefore more time doesn't necessarily mean I can be more productive. I felt all this pressure that if I didn't come out of lock down with my life changed then had I really succeeded in Lockdown?  I came to a place of realisation that Lockdown may not mean I have a new skill to show off and that was okay. However, there's 1 thing I want to come out of Lockdown with and that’s…. To look more and more li

Hey! How are you doing?  This post will hopefully give an insight into how I've found dealing with IBS over the last year. This is only my story and I am sure everyone struggling with it, will have a totally different story to tell.  * This post does involve TMI sections, so maybe skip this one out if you don't like reading about sick etc. * I was diagnosed in March 2019, after having spent 3 months being poorly and being sick a lot. Shout out to my housemate who would look after me whilst I nearly fainted in her room multiple times. Being ill when you're in your first year of university and away from home is quite scary, so I wouldn't have coped without my great pals. I had numerous visits to the doctors back and forth, with blood tests to try and find out what was going on. My GP first suggested I cut out dairy, which was probably about 60% of my diet so took a while to adjust. After a few weeks of it being cut out of my diet completely, I started to f

Wishing I was by the sea again! Recently I have been trying my best to be more disciplined with getting into Gods word daily. Some days it has been a real struggle, but this morning was such an unexpected joy. I have been working through a devotion book which splits Hebrews up into 26 days, so you read a few verses a day and then have some reflection time. It has been such a great way to access the bible and be fed daily, without the daunting experience. Would reccomend to anybody wanting to get into the word! There's a ton of physical copies on Amazon, but there's also digital ones avaliable for free. Anyway this morning, I was reflecting onto this new season I feel God is taking me into. I have felt a big spiritual battle these past few months and my heart has been pulled in all sorts of diirections. So God has been the only consistent thing I have felt close to me. I was worshiping and the song 'voice of truth' by Casting Crowns came on and man I wa