March & April Favourites

Floral Boots

Since buying these boots, they have not left my feet. Seriously. I just love them so much. Embroidery has been massive so far this year & I really hope it stays for the Summer, because it's just too damn cute. They are seriously one of the comfiest boots I've owned & only cost £18 in the sale!

Fluffy Birkenstocks

Ok, so I'm thinking you'll either love or hate these! But look at them, they are so fluffy & soft! I picked them up on a recent trip to Primark thinking they'd be perfect for holiday when we are sun bathing around the pool. I've actually been wearing them around the house instead of slippers now it's got a bit warmer & they are just the comfiest pair of shoes eveeeer.

Soap & Glory Body Lotion

If you haven't smelt this, drop everything & get yourself down to Boots. It's just sooooo good. It instantly reminds me of holidays & I can't wait to get back into the sunshine this Summer!

All The Bright Places 

Ok, so I'm reading a book. Have you fallen off your chair yet? Haha! It's rare for me to read as I just 'never find the time'. Yeah, that old chestnut. It's true though. I really struggle to sit down & immerse myself in a book. However, this one has really got me hooked & I find myself racing home to read it each day! 

Chokers

To be fair, I've always loved chokers, but as they've recently come back into fashion, retailers have brought out some beautiful designs. I'm loving this bow tie one from Primark that came in a pack of 3 for £3. So affordable.

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Lipgloss

Have you ever used a lip-plumping lip gloss before? Neither had I until this one, but I'm seriously addicted to it. Nothing prepares you for the sensation of the lip gloss working its magic on your lips. It feels almost numbing but satisfying at the same time! My lips have never looked as healthy as they do when I apply this gloss! I'm so tempted to pick up a darker shade to add to my collection.

TV

The Only Way Is Essex

I've watched TOWIE since the very beginning, so I get extremely excited when a new series starts. We're almost at the end of this one but I'm seriously loving it as always. 

Riverdale

How addictive is this show? I heard loads of bloggers raving about it on Twitter so thought I'd give it a go & I'm loving it so far. 

One Night With My Ex

Trashy tv at it's best right? This again has been so addictive & actually quite emotional at times.

Orange Is The New Black

So James & I have only just started watching this but seriously, why has nobody ever told me how good this was!? Ok, some people have but we just haven't gotten around to watching it. I'm already so invested in the characters & just want to know what all their back stories are!

Events

At the end of March, Maria celebrated her hen do. I've written a full post if you wanted to have a read here, but we had the most amazing time eating tons of food & dancing the night away to a Michael Buble tribute! I can't believe her wedding is under 5 weeks now! I'm so excited.

Gemma & Ollie welcomed baby Alice into the world & she is absolutely beautiful. She's so tiny & soft. I wish I still had baby skin!

James & I went to see Craig David at the beginning of April & oh my word, that man has still got it. He was absolutely incredible on stage & performed solidly for 2 hours. Tinie Tempah  made a guest appearance as well which was such a surprise.

& finally James & I moved in together! I'm sure you already know this as it's been plastered all over my social media & blog but yay! Definitely a highlight for me & probably the biggest adult thing in my life to date. I'm already so in love with our little flat & can't wait to make some memories there.

How has your month been lovelies?

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Life Lately #125

Hello lovelies,

I went to my first ever bra fitting just over a week ago. I know right, I've just never been brave enough to do it before, but I wrote a blog post on my experience & why I think it's such an important thing to do. I won't go into too much detail as like I say, I've written a whole post about it, but you can read it here if you like : )

I had a lot of leave left at work from this year, so I decided to take a few days off last week. It was so lovely to just be at home & doing lots of bits & pieces I never find the time to do. One of which was finally editing the footage from our holiday to Corfu last June. I couldn't be more proud of how it turned out! You can watch it on my YouTube channel if you like. I also noticed it became Spring, almost over night! The sun was shinning & it was actually so warm walking the dogs.

Last Thursday my parents went to Crufts. James & I went last year & after we came home & raved about how much we loved it, they decided to book tickets & go this year. Crufts is a big thing in my family & we all watch it together every year, but they'd never actually been. Did you watch it this year?

Last Friday, mum & I went to Guildford for the day. We did some shopping & I took her for tea at The Tea Terrace at the top of House Of Fraser. We had such a lovely day & managed to pick out a few options for an outfit I'm hoping to wear to a wedding in June.

For my birthday, Cathy bought me a voucher for afternoon tea, so on Sunday, we booked a table in the local tea room & got this feast! It was so nice, all the sandwiches & scones were freshly made & we even got a slice of cake to takeaway as well!

Oh & finally, Honey on my bed yesterday morning. She hasn't been feeling too well recently, just a bit of an upset stomach, so has been snuggling down with me watching Netflix before work. I'm finally up to date with Riverdale! Is anyone else watching it? I'm really enjoying it but find it a bit weird how sometimes a massive storyline in one episode won't even feature in the next.. I won't give away any spoilers, but those of you who are watching, do you feel the same? : )

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January & February Favourites

Soap & Glory Face Wash
I got this face wash in a Soap & Glory gift set for Christmas (how amazing was that deal in Boots for a whole suitcase of products btw!?) & I've been using it since the beginning of the year. My skin absolutely loves it & it makes my face feel so clean after I've used it. I think because it smells so minty, it just makes you feel so awake & fresh.

Hygge Book
I picked this book up at the beginning of the year & I'm obsessed. I've got a full post coming on it so I won't write too much about it now, but if you haven't heard of Hygge, I'd highly recommend you pick up one of the many books out there about this style of living. What I've found most exciting is I can literally pick up this book when ever I feel like I need a warm hug & it's right there to offer comfort & relaxation.

Video Editing Software - Power Director 
So, after struggling with a basic video editing software for the longest time, I put the Power Director on my wish list for Christmas & I kindly received it from my grandparents. I'm absolutely loving using it & editing videos from last year! Vlogging is so much fun & this allows me to play around with all my clips & make videos.

Soap & Glory Speed Plump Moisturiser
 This smells incredible. Seriously. If you haven't tried this, you need too. I use this as a primer before applying my makeup in the morning as my skin is very dry on my T-zone, so this just preps my skin before I apply my foundation. I just can't get enough of it!

Garnet Ring
I got this ring for my birthday in January & haven't really had a day where I haven't worn it. It's just so pretty! It was from my parents & they ordered it off Etsy. The rings are all handmade & after looking at a few more of the seller's pieces, I really want to order some more!

Garnet Necklace
This was a gift from my best friend for my birthday & how perfect was it that it matched my ring! The two of them together make the perfect combo!

Barry M Quick Dry Nail Polish
I love painting my nails as I'm sure you all know, however, I do get extremely impatient waiting for them to dry when I've got things to do! These Barry M nail polishes are life savers, they dry within a couple of minutes & the shades in the range are just so beautiful. This lilac shade is my absolute favourite & perfect for spring time.  

TV

Ibiza Weekender
This show is my absolute guilty pleasure. I love all the characters & now they're back with a bang for 2017, I'm loving everything about the show, especially David being head rep. He's just so fabulous.

Making A Murderer

This has totally taken over our lives, both James & I are obsessed. But equally, it makes us so angry watching it! If you've seen it you'll know what I mean, but we're about half way through & can't wait to finish it.

The OA
Ahhh, who's watched this?! We finished it a few weeks ago & I've actually written a full review post on it here if you'd like a read. In a nutshell, it was one of the most confusing shows we've watched, but it was so gripping at the same time. Season 2 has been announced so we're keen to watch that when it's out.

Events

In the middle of January, James & I moved our furniture into storage, with the help of his dad Allan. It took us all day, in the snow, but we eventually got everything packed safely away. It's so exciting, because as soon as James starts his new job (on Monday!) we can get a few months pay checks under our belts & start looking for a place to move into!

It wouldn't be a January / February favourites without mentioning my birthday & as always, I had 3-4 days worth of celebrations & I loved every minute of it. I have to say though, my favourite part was staying in 'a cabin in the woods' with James on my actual birthday evening. I reviewed the place we stayed & it was absolutely beautiful & perfect for us. You can check out the post here if you like.

At the end of January, we organised Gem's baby shower. Can you believe she's due to give birth this month!? Where does the time go..

Ah Valentine's Day this year was just perfect. James & I went to Brighton for the day & I finally gave him the tickets I bought for Craig David back in December, so he now knows we are going next month! I'm so excited!

Nan & Dad's both had their birthdays at the end of February, so we had a buffet lunch to celebrate. I've written a bit about it in my last update post if you wanted to see Nan's cake!

& finally, this is kind of a sad event but also a happy one. My manager at work had his retirement do last Sunday & although it was the most wonderful day & he was so grateful to us all, we are going to miss him so much. Work already feels so different without him.

Music

JP Cooper - September Song (Indian Summer Mix) 

What have you been loving this year so far? : )

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Little Steps To.. Relieving Stress

Hello lovelies,

This post is part 2 of my "Little Steps To.." posts. I blogged about ways to find happiness last week, so today is all about de-stressing & how I find ways to switch off at the end of the day.

1. Go outside

I find at the end of the day is when I'm most stressed. I'll come home from work & immediately think 'I've done nothing today, if I was at home I could have done all these things & now I have such a lot to do'. Sound familiar? Yeah, I know right. My job means I am stuck behind a desk for the day, I do get to see the outside world, but I'm unable to actually go out & enjoy it, so I find when I get home all I want to do is go outside. This is obviously a lot better in the summer when the sun is shinning & you can feel those rays on your skin. However, sometimes it is just nice to have a walk in the chilly, frosty air & come back to a nice warm house.

2. Animals

Ah where do I start with this one? I am so grateful every day to have animals in my life & to have been brought up around them. My family have had chickens, cows & horses since I was born. We got our first cat when I was 5 & a few years later, we got our first dog. Since then, we've had dogs ever since & even though we no longer have cows or horses, we still have chickens. All I remember when I was younger was whenever I was upset, my mum would give me a chicken. I'd sit with the chicken & stroke it while it sat on my lap & it immediately calmed me down. Now I don't understand exactly how animals do it, but they are just the most comforting, reassuring things ever. Honey gives me so much love every day & I can't thank her enough for it.

3. Read

I'm hopeless at picking up a book. The only time I really read is on holiday where I get stuck into a book & will get extremely excited & say to myself I'm going to continue this at home, but I never do. It's such a shame because there are so many books out there I want to read but just haven't gotten round to it. What I do manage to pick up & read is non-fiction books. I mentioned the book Calm in a blog post last year which I'm still obsessed with, but I'm also currently loving Hygge (I'm going to do a full post on this in a few weeks time) but I'm addicted to it, anyone else?

4. Colouring

I got some new pencils & a colouring book for Christmas & I'm loving sitting down with it in the evening. You can pick up some beautiful books from The Works at the moment (they have an amazing sale right now!) but I know most places will sell them now as they are making a comeback! 

5. Meditation

Ok, so I touched on this in my Calm post last Summer, but meditation has become such a big part of my life. I sadly don't manage to practice it as much as I'd like, but I can't believe how amazing it is. If you haven't tried, I'd highly recommend it. Calm & Headspace are my favourite apps to use.

6. Planet Earth

Ok, so you've probably got to this one & thought, what the actual **** but hear me out! As I've already mentioned, animals & being outside are two of my stress relievers, so why wouldn't a program all about animals in the natural world relax me as well? I'll give you an example. For my birthday, I'd organised a night out at the local pub for my group of friends to go for drinks on a Saturday night. So, if I'm honest, I put up the event on complete auto-pilot & it was only after I'd selected the people to invite, made the event & posted it on Facebook, my heart sank. I'd organised something on the busiest night of the week, surrounded by people drinking. My head was screaming 'WHAT HAVE YOU DONE'. If you haven't already guessed, this was one of the worst scenarios for me to put myself in, which is silly because I used to do it most weekends when I was 18/19, but I'm in a completely different frame of mind now. I was ok up until 3 hours before we were due to meet everyone & I sat down with James, almost in tears, saying I couldn't go. Being the amazing man he is, he wrapped my up in his duvet & put on Planet Earth on iPlayer & we sat in silence & watched it. Half way through I realised I was ok. My chest felt lighter & I could breathe again. My head was saying 'you can do this, it's your birthday, nothing bad is going to happen'. & I listened. The program ended, I got ready & went out & I had one of the best nights out I've had in ages. So yes, Planet Earth is my saviour.

I would love to know what you do when you're stressed & how you find ways of calming yourself down. Remember to check out my "Little Steps To.. Happiness" post as part of this series if you liked this one : )

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Little Steps To.. Happiness

Hello lovelies,

I absolutely love reading these posts, so I thought I'd share what I do to boost my mood when I'm having a down day.

1. Pamper yourself

You know that Lush bath bomb that's been sitting in your bathroom, just waiting to be used? Run a bath, light some candles, put on some music & dunk that bad boy in! Nothing makes me happier than seeing a bath bomb whizz around the water! 

2. Try doing your makeup / hair differently

So, at the beginning of the year I saw on Twitter some bloggers deciding they would stop wearing makeup everyday. I used to be that person that wouldn't leave the house till I had a full face of makeup, but since the beginning of the year (thanks New Year's resolutions!) I've been wearing a lot less makeup each day, only putting on a full face if we're going out for dinner or for a special occassion, but also trying different makeup has made me feel like a new woman. Silly really, but such a small thing can really brighten your mood. Same with changing your hair up a bit. I had mine cut at the very end of last year & I love it, but it can simply come down to how you style it if you aren't comfortable with having a chop. Why not curl it today? Or try out that space bun trend that has always seemed a bit wacky? I find looking online, there are soooo many tutorials now. Why not have a search on YouTube for a step-by-step guide or look up some images on Pinterest.

3. Retail therapy

This one is just my favourite thing to do. Ok, so firstly, I don't mean spending hundreds & thousands, I just mean treating yourself to that pair of boots that have been sitting in your ASOS basket for the past few weeks. Just something to look forward to coming in the post is the best feeling.

4. Netflix

Since James & I got Netflix, I've been obsessed. I've been watching things I never usually watch (The OA for example, which I've reviewed recently & Making A Murderer which we are half way through!) but I find when I'm feeling low, all I need is a bit of time spent with my favourite tv characters. Big Bang Theory is one of our favourites when we need a laugh. The episodes are only 20 minutes long & are extremely funny!

5. Be social

I find meeting up with a friend or group of people will instantly brighten your mood. I know when I'm feeling down, all I want to do is sit at home & not socialize, but it really does help if you can get our the house & see people. My girls always know how to put a smile on my face, no matter what.

6. Plan a trip

So, you might not live close to friends or maybe you've texted around & everyone already has prior commitments. No worries, why not plan a trip to see them? I always find if I have an event in my calendar, it's something exciting to look forward too. James & I are potentially looking at going to Wales soon to visit his friend Tom & I can't wait to start planning our adventure.

What do you do to brighten your mood? I would love to know in the comments below!

& don't forget to pop back to see my next "Little steps to.." posts. I'm going to do at least two more; how to relieve stress & how to reduce anxiety.

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The OA

Hello lovelies! 

James & I have recently finished watching a new series on Netflix, called The OA. Ok, so for people that know me, they were quite shocked I was actually watching this.. I'm usually a fan of anything comedy based, mixed in with a bit of romance & I'll occasionally stretch to a nature documentary (you can never go wrong with a bit of David Attenborough..) However, I saw on Twitter that The OA was trending a while ago & everyone was raving about it, so thought we'd give it a watch.

Link

I wanted to blog about it because it really is so different to anything I've ever watched before. So a bit of background; this is how IMDB describe the plot:

"Having gone missing seven years ago, the previously blind Prairie returns home, now in her 20s with her sight restored. While many believe she is a miracle, others worry that she could be dangerous."

So, a bit mysterious right? It doesn't actually tell you anything other than introduce you to the main character, Prairie & not much about the story. From reading that, we weren't sure if it was going to be her story from when she returned home or what happened to her over those 7 years. Without sharing any spoilers, series 1 takes you back over Prairie's life, including her childhood, the 7 years when she is missing & flashes back to the present day & how she fits back into the life she had before she went missing.

You're introduced to characters from her past & present & how she influences their lives. The two characters I warmed to the most were Homer (from her past) & Buck Vu (present) both were fantastic in their roles & also Abel Johnson played by Scott Wilson (Hershel from Walking Dead) & Dr. Hunter Hap played by Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter) were both brilliant.

So, overall, my thoughts on it. Well, I'm not really sure how to explain it really. But basically, it has you hooked from episode 1. You end up asking a thousand questions an episode, which never actually get answered. You're always thinking 'they'll explain that in a minute' but it never happens which is extremely frustrating, but weirdly addictive.

A lot of people have had mixed reviews on the final episode, which I can totally understand why that is. We never saw it coming & to me, it didn't really seem to fit in very well with the rest of the story. Series 2 is already on its way, so hopefully that will answer a few questions we have still, but going by series 1, it probably will just make us ask more..!

Have you watched The OA? What did you think?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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December & November Favourites

Printing Photos

Earlier in the year I purchased a voucher on Groupon to get 200 photos printed & sent to me. I've wanted to fill up this photo album for the longest time. I don't know about you, but I am guilty of taking hundreds of photos but never getting them printed. I'm going to try & keep up to date with them all now & do a batch every couple of months. I love looking through albums & bringing back happy memories.

Dachshund Purse
Can you get a more perfect purse? I'm so in love with it. Plus, it has a decent amount of sections for loyalty cards & random receipts which I always seem to have tons of in my bag!

Maybelline Mascara

I think this mascara has featured in my favourites before, but I had to mention it again as I went off it for a while & have just rediscovered it again. I have no idea why I stopped using it. It's seriously the best drug store mascara I've found.

Primark Matte Lipstick

I bought this lipstick back in Spring & put it at the back of my draw to save for the Autumn / Winter months as it's a very dark red shade. I forgot about it till the other week when I re-discovered it in my lipstick draw & got so excited! It's so perfect when you can't be bothered to do a full face of a makeup. A touch of mascara & this on your lips & your good to go! I reviewed this lipstick back in March if you'd like a read.

Ted Baker Nail Polish

Ah doesn't this colour just scream Christmas? I've been obsessed with it this past month (as you'll see in my next nail art post) James kindly got it for me for our anniversary at the beginning of December & it looks so perfect with a glitter top coat.

Ted Baker Body Spray

Ah another amazing present from James! This body spray has to be one of my new favourites. It's very sweet & reminds me of Spring, but I love it for that. Even though I love more sultry perfumes, I always go back to the sweet, spring scents.

Worthers Originals

Right, I blame Elisa for this one.. She brought some Worthers into work last month & offered me one & oh my god. I hadn't had one for years & now I'm obsessed again. What's so amazing about these though is they have gooey middles. I mean, c'mon. They are seriously the best.

Netflix

Ok, so Netflix is my life now. Haha, I'm kidding, but seriously.. how did I ever survive without it!? James & I have a few series we've been hooked on; Stranger Things was the first. It was really scary but addictive & then The Big Bang Theory which James had never seen but I'd dipped in & out of over the years. I'd love to hear what you've discovered on Netflix & what we should watch next?

Music

Busted - Night Driver Album

The Weeknd - I Feel It Coming

Events

At the beginning of November, Gemma & Ollie revealed they were expecting a little girl! I can't actually wait to meet her. We've got lots of excitement ahead with the baby shower in January too & then Gemma is due in March!

Grandad celebrated his 89th birthday last month. I can't believe he is that age, he still seems so young to me!

James & I celebrated our 4 year anniversary on 1st December. It feels like forever, but also no time at all!

This year's panto at work is Aladdin & I can't begin to tell you what a lovely cast we have had. Every year, it feels like a new family join us, but especially this year, as sometimes as staff members you don't feel apart of it, but they've all been so lovely, it'll be sad to say goodbye to them all.

& of course a highlight of these past two months has to be Christmas. What I love most about Christmas is to James & I, it's not just one day. We move from family member to family member, but we celebrate with each & everyone of them & it's like starting Christmas day over & over again. It's the best time of year!

How has your December been lovelies?

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