Yummy Microwave Lemon Curd Recipe

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So James is obsessed with lemon curd and lemon flavoured things in general. We decided to try our hand at actually making it because we thought it would be cheaper… turns out lemons are like $2 a piece at the moment and we used 2.5 lemons so really this was probably the most expensive lemon curd ever. It was still totally yummy though.

This recipe is a combination of this recipe and our own experiences.

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We used:

  • 1 cup of white sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • Juice of 2.5 lemons (around 1 cup)
  • Lemon zest
  • 125g of butter, melted in the microwave

Firstly squeeze the lemons into a cup. It works better if you have one of those fancy lemon juicing cone things, but failing that use a strong hubby.

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Put the eggs and sugar into a bowl and mix well. Add the lemon juice, zest, butter and mix again.

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Mix thoroughly for a few minutes. Microwave for 1 minute at a time, every minute mix it so anything that’s stuck to the bottom is distributed evenly. We ended up microwaving for a total of 4 minutes on our crappy old microwave but I get the feeling it would only take around 3 minutes in our new powerful one. The mixture will thicken up every time you put it in, James wanted something runny that could go on toast and cheesecake, but you might want it more solid.

Push the mixture through a sieve to get rid of the zest and any lumps then put it into a really cute sterile container to cool.

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Alternatively, spread on something and just eat it warm. Just don’t burn yourself!

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I enjoyed it spread on waffles in the morning, James enjoyed it on everything… especially a spoon ^_^

Lazy Inspiration

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You know what the problem with writing a post about Lazy Inspiration? You get too busy and lazy to actually write it… >_>

Lately I’ve been talking about Lazy Inspiration a lot. I mentioned it as the theme for The VLB and it’s been something I’ve been thinking about for a while.

I can be very unmotivated sometimes and once you’re in an unmotivated frame of mind it’s hard to climb out of it because everything seems to hard. You have a couple of set backs which are outside of your control and it completely ruins your momentum. You’re too busy to do anything but even though you’re so busy… nothing really gets done. It’s a bad habit! All of your goals seem so far away from actually being completed.

So I feel like this…

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And then this happens instead of me actually completing the original goals…

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And that’s exactly the problem. Big things are hard! Small changes are easy. And if you can make enough small changes the results in your life suddenly become nice and big without you even noticing.

I want to be one of those people who do things and go places and are productive all the time… but I’m already in my pajamas… >_>

So rather than completely fight against my nature I’ve decided to embrace it! Rather than forcing myself to get out of my pyjamas… I’m just going to make prettier pyjamas! Or wear heels at home or bright lipstick or anything else which is a small change but gives me a boost of confidence.

The challenge I’ve set myself is to do one small thing every day which will boost my mood and inspire me. Small changes which will lead to bigger changes.     Inspiration for the lazy.

What kinds of things though? They need to be quick, easy, inexpensive and make me feel good when I can cross them off.

This is the list I’ve come up with so far:

  • Paint your nails
  • Make a healthier meal than usual
  • Wear your cutest outfit
  • Think of one thing you like about your life
  • Consciously try to smile more
  • Try out a new make up look
  • Try out a new hair style
  • Make a night time wind down routine eg. read for 15min, listen to one song while you apply your face creams so you are relaxed for bed
  • Try exercising for 5 minutes a day (and build up to more when you’re ready)
  • Wear a face mask
  • Make your next meal as pretty as possible
  • Give a stranger a compliment
  • Wear something completely different than you’re used to
  • Start reading a new book in a different genre than you usually read
  • Throw out something you’ve been meaning to for ages
  • Try out a new craft
  • Paint your toe nails and add some bling
  • Decorate/organise the area you spend the most time in (my desk!)
  • Clean that one area of the house that you never get around to (the laundry…)
  • Listen (and possibly dance) to a really happy uplifting song (I’m going to do it to some bubble gum kpop!)
  • Take a photo of a really pretty view
  • Find and study a really pretty flower
  • Try something creative like drawing, painting or sculpting, it doesn’t matter if you suck it at as long as you try something new!

That’s what I’m going to start with, I think I’ll update this often with new ideas that I’m trying out.

If any of you guys want to be lazily inspired you can take this list or leave me your list in the comments! Let me know if you write a post about your progress, results, pledge, whatever! If you post on social media use the hashtag #lazyinspiration and I’ll keep track of everything. Likewise, you will be able to see me cross these things off on Instagram and Facebook.

The best thing about using #lazyinspiration is that as soon as you tell someone you’re going to do something, you become accountable! It’s easy to tell yourself you’re going to do something and never do it (*cough* I do it all the time!) but as soon as I tell Celina or James, they start asking me how it’s going and then I feel like I HAVE to do it, so let’s be each others guilt support network!

Maybe we’ll make this a monthly or weekly thing with challenges, rewards, prizes, that kind of thing if you guys are interested. Motivation and inspiration is possible and we can inspire each other to keep going even when we aren’t feeling at our best!

What do you guys think? Are you ready to be inspired in the laziest way possible?

Let’s get motivated together!

Cel’s Deco Nail Store Review And Competition!

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Today’s review is a little bit special because it’s a review of a shop run by one of my long time readers: Cel! Cel has been a reader from all the way back when I was at Blogspot and I didn’t even realise that she had opened her own store until recently when I saw some of her pieces online.

Located in Greece, Cel’s Deco Nails has stores on Etsy, StoreEnvy and Zibbet. As the name suggests, she makes kawaii themed decoden pieces and beautiful nail art. She has been nice enough to put together some pieces for a giveaway as well for you guys at the end of the post!

In her photos everything looks extremely high quality so I was curious as to whether it held up in person!

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So on to the review!

The package arrived safely via airmail with no issues, it was sent over the holiday period so while it was a little longer than regular international postage that was down to Australia Post being busy and understaffed rather than a shop problem. The package was bubble wrapped and decorated with deco tape. Inside there was a selection of Greek candy and chocolates for James and I to try in an upcoming vlog!

The jewellery was individually wrapped in tiny bags and placed in a sturdy box for shipping. Everything arrived in tact and even though the outside package was a bit banged up from the journey.

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All of the items came packaged in sets in little organza bags.

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Unpacked there was a really big mix of items including rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets.

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Let’s have a look close up! A lot of the pieces I received were handmade resin set on metal backings.

Earrings:

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These earrings were actually my favourite pieces in the entire package, mostly because they are beautiful but also the hook clasps that Cel used as a base have a closure system at the back. I love wearing drop earrings but they always get caught in my hair and end up falling out and getting lost 🙁 With these ones, the hook clips in so there’s no chance of them coming out later!

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Here I am doing my best show room model posing with the matching earring and ring set. Clearly I’m not going to be a Wheel Of Fortune model any time soon 😉

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The matching ring was adorable too. I love that a lot of her items are available in sets.

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The resin jewels were perfectly set and I thought that the choices of glitter were really well matched to the individual pieces and pretty.

Bracelet:

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In terms of quality I think everything is very good for the price point. I’ve worn my favourite pieces several times over the last few weeks with no visible wear. Comparing them to other pieces I have in my jewellery box, the metals were very strong and not at all easily bendable so I think that’s a good indication of quality.

It’s not a fair review if I don’t point out downsides but the potential only down side I would make note of is that as with all metal costume jewellery you need would need to take appropriate care while wearing it to make sure that the finishes will remain perfect eg. not getting hand cream or water on the pieces while wearing them etc.

Rings:

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Even the tiny metal filagree parts on the rings were sturdy which surprised me.

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The rings come on standard adjustable bases which would suit most people’s finger sizes. I have very small hands so when wearing the pieces I had to make the ring even smaller but that was easily achieved.

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The pendants came on a mixture of necklaces including stiff wire and black leather. I liked the stiff wire the best as it was a bit more delicate and suited my current style.

This Alice in Wonderland set was on the wire:

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I thought the pendants were a really good size as well, they were little and delicate but not so much that they would get lost in an outfit.

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Of course, what kawaii themed shop would be complete without some Hello Kitty?

The rings:

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And the matching cuff bracelet is just gorgeous. Again I have very small wrists so cuff bracelets like this tend to just fall off me, if this is also an issue for you I would suggest making sure you look at the measurements before ordering.

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But nothing compares to the glitter resin, it’s my new obsession. It’s just so hypnotically pretty!

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I actually requested this pendant because in the Etsy photos I couldn’t stop staring at the glitter… when it arrived, I literally spent like 10 minutes staring at it in person. It’s just so sparkly… and now I sound a little like a crazy person… but hypnotic! I don’t wear much black so I’m going to switch the leather out onto a silver chain or possibly a string of pearls so I can wear it with everything. Hypnoglitter!!!

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So the verdict: I thought the shipping was quick, the quality was great and the designs were very pretty. I think a lot of you will love Cel’s nail art and her decoden. I personally love the resin pieces the most. Cel’s store has a large range of different styles from cute and pink to more dark and gothic so I think it’s definitely worth a look.

Now the fun part…

Competition time!

Cel has been nice enough to offer up some of her lovely designs for a competition.

The prize includes everything you see here:

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Full prize list:

-Red glitter resin ring
-Purple glitter resin ring
-Galaxy glitter resin ring
-Hello Kitty pink ring
-Hello Kitty black ring
-Kawaii skull ring
-Rainbow resin necklace
-Hello Kitty cuff bracelet
-Pink/Gold resin cuff bracelet

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The details:

To enter the competition, leave a comment on this post telling me which piece from Cel’s Deco Nail store is your favorite and why!