Love It or Hate It - 5 Reasons Why You Need Marmite In Your Life This Christmas

Oh, Marmite. This post is already a controversal topic and I haven't even started yet. There's no denying that the nation is split when it comes to marmite, that was obvious when brexit came around and we were alarmed to the fact that Tesco MIGHT NOT BE SELLING MARMITE ANYMORE. What was up with that? I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, knowing the fact that marmite might not be in my life anymore, whether it was a marketing ploy or not, it made me realise how I certainly couldnt live without it in my life. You only realise what you had until you've lost it, right?

Love it or hate it - I'm here to help spread the yeasty love this Christmas, and these are 5 reasons why you need a jar of marmite in your cupboard before 2017 wings its way around! (or you might not have to if you panic bought 5 jars of marmite during #marmitegate like me).

#1. Personalised Marmite Jar*

There's only 2 things in life better than a marmite jar. 1) somebody who can nail your marmite to butter ratio (key dating criteria I think) and 2) a personalised marmite jar!  I received a festive looking marmite jar last year for Christmas and it was single handedly the best present I have ever received. Everything tastes & looks better when it's personalised, like that is a fact. 

Last year I had to go to some lengths to grab one as I believe you could only get them if you visited the marmite store in Westfield London which is just my kind of heaven. Luckily for the rest of us who can't justify the cost of a 4 hour train trip to London just to buy one (but it would be totes worth it for marmite <3) you can now get your very own one online this Christmas for only £4.99!!! Whether it's for a marmite lover in your life, a secret santa present or just as a treat for yourself, make sure you get yours in time for Christmas!! I'm already planning on what I'm going to do with my empty jar, and how many slices of buttery toast this jar will grace... Grab your own personalised jar in time for Christmas by following this link.

#2. It goes with EVERYTHING (espesh Cheese)

You know that feeling when you open a bag of crisps and your mouth literally drools from the smell? Well that's what a marmite and cheese combo does to you too. I discovered the starbucks marmite and cheese paninis about 7 years ago and honestly haven't looked back. Why does cheese and marmite taste so good? It's like the 2 nicest, saltiest things in the world and it's such a little guilty pleasure of mine. It's the ultimate hygge food!

If you're like 'why have I never tried this before?' which I'm sure you have if you're a marmite fan. But if not you need to BUY the marmite cheeses for Christmas (literally incred), make some marmite cheese straws, make yourself marmite and cheese toasties and the day that a marmite and cheese pizza is created will be the day! What's the best marmite duo you've tried?

#3. No More Insect Bites

I'm not actually sure if this is an old wives tale or if it's actually true. But yeah, marmite wards of insect bites. Apparently it's because marmite is rich in B vitamins which helps to keep mosquitoes away, and I've personally not been bitten once when I'm abroad if I've been eating marmite. There's only so much jam you can take on the all inclusive buffet too, so do take a stash of mini marmite hearts with you or decant some into a smaller jar for a bite free vacay!

#4. It's full of vitamins
It turns about that being rich in B vitamins is not just good for warding off insects. It's so rich in B vitamins that marmite can actually be used as a cheap alternative to B vitamins, and I promise it's a whole lot tastier.

Marmite also provides 50% off your folic acid and 17% of your thiamin which is a substance used to help protect your nervous system. The black stuff really is doing good things for you, whilst being insanely tasty.

#5. Did I mention it tastes amazing?
There is no such thing as too many slices of marmite and butter on toast, and if anyone tells you different, you don't need them in your life. The reality is, marmite is not for everyone. But if you do happen to love it, you really love it and that means it's pretty much the best thing since sliced bread.

The taste of marmite can take you from a bad day to a really, really good day. It's a little taste of heaven that doesn't compare to anything else. Even though 2016 hasn't been a great year for the UK, #Brexit hasn't won #marmitegate and even though we continue to be living in a divided nation, I'll still have marmite, and that makes everything better.

What's important to remember though is that marmite is not just for Christmas! I get that marmite isn't for everyone, but give it a try this Christmas, it might just surprise you!

Do you love it or hate it? Would you like a personalised marmite jar?

*Products marked with an asterix (*) have been sent to me for review. However, all opinions in this post are 100% my own, and GUYS I LOVE Marmite so much it's even in my Instagram bio!

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OOTD | The Metallic Midi

Jumper - H&M

Skirt* - Closet London

Heels - New Look

Bag - River Island

I had my works Christmas party at the weekend, and I 100% regret not wearing this getup. It's all kinds of sass and sooo pretty, although I think I'd have died on the dance floor wearing this as the jumper is super snuggly. The metallic trend is just SO right, I think every blogger and their dog is currently living in their own metallic pleated midi skirt and why the hell not?! Okay, so its definitely too fancy for wearing out in Plymouth during the day, I nearly died from the amount of stares and beeps from peoples horns, I think people thought I was doing the walk of shame from a night out as I was holding my heels in my hand whilst I was wearing flats to the shoot location, which just FYI I was not!

I really don't know when I'm going to wear the skirt again, I'll probably save it for a night out in London or my next cruise, as it is v fancy. I love wearing it with jumpers for a more casual look whilst still looking fancy, you could definitely opt for a pair of converse or trainers instead of heels too. Oh, and those beauties are currently only £14.99 in the sale in New Look, amazing!

If you're still looking for Christmas party wear I would definitely recommend checking out Closet London, as you're less likely to end up wearing the same outfit as someone else who's picked something up from the high street, it's happened to me before and it is NOT nice. You can also grab 10% off your first order if you sign up to their newsletter, happy shopping!

What do you think of this outfit? Do you like the metallic trend?

*Products marked with an asterix (*) have been sent to me for review. However, all opinions in this post are 100% my own

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OOTD | Zaful - Trendy Fashion For Less

Embroidered Shoulder Poplin Shirt* - Zaful

Joni Jeans - Topshop

Brogues - Dune

I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to outfit pictures, I usually end up having 100 + pictures taken each time so I know I have at least 9 perfect ones - but seriously, this winter weather is playing havoc with my outfit pictures this year, I never remember it being this cold last winter?

I've been trying to snap this beautiful embroidered shirt from Zaful for the last THREE weeks now, every time I've gone to take the pictures I've either been freezing or it's been raining, it's not exactly easy to take pictures when it's soooo cold outside. I like having my health too much! But alas, I did freeze to death taking these pictures on the weekend (definitely the quickest outfit shooting ever!), but I was rewarded with a nice hot chocolate afterwards, so who's the real winner hey?

Zaful are gonna be your new besties, especially if you have a penchant for everything Zara. They do almost identical dupes of all the latest lines, but for a huge fraction of the price, as a sucker for all things embroidered I nestled myself within their range of embroidered shirts, and was soo impressed with the prices, but also gutted I could have got a dupe of a Zara shirt I'd already bought for £10 cheaper! This Poplin shirt is the perfect work/casual look, the embroidered floral detail is so subtle, yet definitely makes a statement against the crisp white shirt.

Zaful have a huge range of clothing that are ideal for anyone who has a taste for high end style, but doesnt like the price tag that goes with it. Despite being a lot cheaper than the high street, the quality of their items is amazing, albeit the shirt is maybe a little too thin for the weather, I did freeze to death whilst taking outfit pictures owww! The delivery of the items was super quick too, and I was overall really impressed with the service. What more could a girl want? 

Catch Zaful over on Facebook & Pinterest for more style inspiration!

What do you think of this outfit? Have you heard of Zaful before? How do you cope with taking outfit pictures during the winter?

*Products marked with an asterix (*) have been sent to me for review. However, all opinions in this post are 100% my own

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Surviving The Christmas Party Season When You're Teetotal

So, if you didn't already know, I'm teetotal. Yep. I suggest heading over to read my 'why it's okay to be a teetotal 23 year old' post before reading on to get the low down. I've been off the drink for over 3 years now which is both amazing, and scary. But the fact is, whatever your reason for not drinking, it never gets easier when you head into the party season. With upcoming work Christmas meals and family gatherings, I can imagine it's a similar feeling if you suffer from social anxiety, as you just can't escape it. I know it shouldn't, but these occasions are mainly celebrated by drinking alcohol which can lead you to feeling like 'the odd one out'.

A year on from writing my post, and I still feel like nothing has changed in society about the so called 'drinking culture', drinking until the cows come home and collpasing in the gutter is NOT Hygge, nor is it cool. The best thing I have found is removing yourself from the situation, but unfortunately it's not possible when the impending doom of the work Christmas party is approaching. Seeing as this will be my 4th teetotal Christmas (do I get a jacket for when I reach 5 years?) I thought I'd share some of my survival tips with you to help keep you sane over the Christmas period!

#1. Don't Overthink

Overthinking and worrying is the first thief of happiness. I usually have 5 questions on repeat in my head before going to any type of social event; 'will they ask why I'm not drinking?' 'Will they think I'm boring?', 'what if I'm not confident enough to sit with drunk people?' 'will they ask why I can't drink?' etc. I am so guilty of doing this and more times than not, only a couple of questions will actually come to fruition during the evening.

Overthinking beforehand will put you off going, and you should never let being teetotal stop you from doing something. Which leads me to....

#2. Do GO
Just say yes! It's like suffering from social anxiety, however hard it is, it makes it worse for yourself if you don't go and turn down an invite. I always ask myself, what is the worst thing that's going to happen? Probably nothing, so go, enjoy yourself, you deserve that glass of orange juice with your friends!

#3. Be Confident
Just by going to an event and not drinking in itself is a huge achievement. How many people could actually go to a Christmas work party sober? No, really? The reality is that people drink because it makes them feel more confident, and to relax. REALITY CHECK: They need it to feel less socially awkward, and to give themselves a boost of confidence.

Confidence comes from within, and the reason people say 'how can you do it?' or 'is it boring?', is actually because they would never be able to do it in a million years. If you have confidence, you can survive any social occasion without alcohol, and you can go home feeling confident that you're going to be hangover free the next day, woop!

#4. Answer Questions, BUT Don't Justify
We all know that one person that never takes no for an answer, and will ask you the same questions about your drinking habits at EACH social gathering, give it a break? No matter how many times you tell a person they just can't seem to accept it that not everyone drinks.

These people are boring, my best advice is to avoid them if you can, and remember to never justify. You don't have to tell anyone why you don't drink if you don't want to, its 2016 AND YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU WANT! 

#5. Pick A Yummy Drink
Water is probably one of the only things that I actually drink during the week, so when I go out for a meal or a night out it makes it more of a treat to have something a bit less 'boring'. Mocktails are a good choice, and more places are starting to cater to the teetotal market so they'll always have a space on the drinks menu for some options, albeit small. 

Actually, people may not even know you're not drinking sometimes - I've played drinking games with water and been bought top ups of vodka lemonade when I was just drinking lemonade. People don't even know the difference when they've had one too many!

#6. Be Yourself
It's not your fault that you can't drink for whatever reason, and you should never let it feel like that. I've completely changed my life for the better since I stopped drinking 3 years ago, and I couldn't be happpier. I'm alive, happy and healthy, and I really couldn't ask for anything more.

Everyone will see you at your best all the time, as nothing is ever clouding your judgement or enhancing your personality. When you're acting yourself, you don't need to be anything else. And if people don't like that? They're not worth having in your life!

Whatever event you have coming up, I hope you all have an amazing time during the Christmas season, remember that your teetoal status doesn't define you! I don't personally know of many people that are 100% teetotal and I really wish I would have been able to confide in someone 3 years ago. So if you're in a similar position or need some advice, please do tweet me or get in touch via email on nicolelisasage@msn.com!

Are you teetotal? Do you have any other tips for surving the Christmas party season?

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