Life Lately #150

Hi lovelies!

I'm officially back from my 'blogging break'. I really hate saying that, as I'm not actually sure what qualifies for a break anymore.. but I think this has been the longest time period where I haven't blogged & I've missed it. I thought I better start with an update post (number 150!) from this past month as I feel like so much has happened..

As this weather has been so beautiful recently, I've been spending more & more time in our garden. My plants however are not loving it so much.. my strawberry plant in particular! But I have been loving growing my own vegetables & fruit in our garden this Summer. Our onions are currently flourishing & the lettuces we grew were so successful. I've got another post on the sidelines about falling in love with my garden this summer which should hopefully be published in the next few weeks.

James' brother Alex celebrated his 22nd birthday at the beginning of July. Our present to him was a day out to Brighton to do an Escape Room. I completed my first escape room at the beginning of June with the girls & loved it so much, I thought it would be the perfect present for Alex. We completed the room in 58 minutes just in time & then headed to Nandos for lunch. England were playing in the world cup at 3pm, so we rushed home in time for the match!

That evening we headed to Valerie & Barrie's for a Murder Mystery night. I'd never done one before so wasn't sure how it all worked, but it was really good fun. We each got sent our characters a week or so before, so we knew a bit about them & how to dress & act at dinner. The game also comes with a tape & you follow a script to find out who committed the crime. I was Lady Shippe, the widow of Lord Shippe & James was the local vicar who was into drinking & gambling! We thought we would find out the murderer quite early on, but it kept us guessing right till the end. I'd highly recommend taking part in one if you haven't before!

Oh & I held my annual Summer BBQ, which was amazing as ever! It always feels like the day goes so quick, what with all the planning & preparation, but it's always so much fun. I love getting everyone together & playing games as the sun sets. We had the most amazing weather as well.

James & I headed up to Bristol for Matt & Alice's wedding. James was an usher for Matt, so we attended the rehearsal on the Friday evening before the big event on Saturday. It was so much fun meeting all their friends & family & getting to celebrate the day with them.

& finally, at the end of July, we went to Quimper in France for a week with James' family. It was a week full of exploring, socialising & relaxation. The accommodation came with a private pool, which was so nice, as the weather was just as hot as England at the time.

So I think that's about it! I'm currently working my second to last shift before 9 days off from work & I couldn't be more excited. I'm planning on doing a Summer / Autumn clean (is that a thing?) in our house & organising a few days out with my girls but otherwise, I haven't got much on, just going to make the most of the last of the Summer if the weather co-operates!

I'd love to hear if you've been anywhere nice this year? Or still have any holidays coming up? : )

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July & August Favourites

"Go-Pro"

Ok, so this isn't an actual go-pro. It's a replica I purchased off Groupon about a year ago, but seriously, it's perfect for what I wanted it for. I took it on holiday to Lanzarote & got some brilliant underwater shots & the wide angle lens is perfect for capturing those long sandy beaches. I couldn't be more pleased with it. (Keep an eye out for a Lanzarote vlog soon that was filmed using this camera!) 

Revlon Foundation
I've been using this foundation for a couple of months now & am so pleased with how flawless my skins looks when I use it. I usually mix it in with the Youth Lift Glow-Plexion & it creates the most beautiful texture on my skin. I can't recommend it enough.

Studio 10 Youth Lift Glow Plexion 

This has to be my favourite product I've tried in a long time. My mum got a free beauty box when she ordered over a certain amount with M&S & this was one of the products. It's an all-in-one primer, radiance creme, illuminator & highlighter.

Heat Protect Spray
I actually picked this up when I went into Boots to replace my VO5 heat protect spray, but this one caught my eye. It's almost £2 cheaper & smelt incredible. I'm totally converted. I've used it a few times on my hair so far & it's helped tame the frizz as well as protect my hair against my dryer & straighteners.

Dachshund Stationary
Ok, so I've always been obsessed with stationary & making notes, but since I've found these adorable Dachshund notepads / sticky notes in The Works, I've become even more obsessed. And of course, the best part is they are covered in dogs! What more could you want.

Matte Lip Crayon
This is my absolute favourite lipstick at the moment. I have the shade Raspberry Wine & it's the perfect dusky pink that seems to compliment every outfit. I wore it every night on holiday & most days at work. Even though it's quite a matte shade, it's also incredibly moisurising.

Kindle
I have a continuous love affair with books. The only problem is, I never find time to read them. I only ever tend to read when I'm on holiday, so Lanzarote was a perfect excuse to blow the dust off my kindle!

Music 

Britney Spears
Ever since Erin did a poll on Twitter to find the best Britney song, I've been obsessed with listening to all her tunes. Yes I blame you girly ; ) There were so many amazing songs that I'd forgotten about, it was the best trip down memory lane.

Disney
This past month I've found myself sitting there not knowing what to play on my ipod & everytime going back to the same playlist, Disney. It's perfect for lifting my mood, or for just putting on while I'm doing the house work.

Events

All my friends came together for my annual Summer BBQ, which was incredible. It's always one of my favourite days of the year.

I got a new car! I've had Connie just over a month now & I can't wait to have lots of adventures with her.

James & I visited The Harry Potter Studios in London. I absolutely loved the whole experience, I'd definitely go again!

& finally, I went on holiday to Lanzarote with my girls! There will be a full post coming soon but I can safely say it was a massive highlight of this year so far!

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Life Lately #132

Wow, this seems like ages ago now, but we had our annual Summer BBQ at my grandparent's house back at the beginning of July. We've done it for the past four years & we have a day of playing games & eating lots of food. It's so much fun & we were so lucky with the weather. There were two short showers, but otherwise, it was dry & sunny.

July was also the month I got my new car! This is Connie the convertible. Isn't she cute? We've already had some exciting drives with the roof down. (Not as much as I'd like, we are in England after all..)

James also got a job promotion! He is now assistant manager at the kennels he works at. I'm so proud of him as he's only been in the job since March, so he's really thriving in his new role. We went out for dinner to celebrate with his family, which was lovely.

At the end of July, James & I finally got to go to The Harry Potter Studios! It was such a fun day, I've written a full post on it if you'd like to have a read. 

Oh & did any of you watch Love Island?! The girls & I all got together to watch the final round Elisa's. Did you agree with the winners? We were all seriously obsessed.

Last Sunday we had brunch at Bills as Cathy had two of her friends from uni visiting. It was so nice to see them & get all the girls together.

& finally, Thursday I met up for lunch with Cathy, Gem & Alice to do some last minute shopping. We have so many birthdays in August, it's been a bit manic organising all the presents in time! Luckily I managed to get the last few bits in town today.

Oh & I go on holiday on Tuesday! I'm so excited. Cathy, Boop & I are jetting off to Lanzarote & we actually can't wait. I will hopefully vlog while we're away, so keep an eye out for that!

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Summer Bargains!

Inflatable Flamingo - £6.99

I mean, not everyone has a pool where they have the option of riding a flamingo, but can we just take a moment to appreciate how adorable this is & also how in-expensive it is!? Absolutely amazing value & perfect for that 'instagram shot of dreams'. I'm so tempted to get one even though I don't have a pool to use it in! Aldi also have a crocodile & whale inflatable if the flamingo isn't your style!

Swimming Pool - £29.99

Ok, so you're gonna need somewhere to put your flamingo right? This quick assembly pop-up pool is perfect to cool off in when it gets a bit too hot. Alternatively, if you wanted a small cheap paddling pool just to dip your toes in, Poundland are selling this one for £1! Amazing.

Sun, Sea, Sand Hat - £3.49

I should re-name this post 'props for the perfect Summer Instagram shots' haha! How cliche is this hat? Saying that.. I would love it in my life.

Water Dispenser - £1

For £1, you get a 2 litre container, perfect for filling with cocktails / squash or fizzy drinks in the hotter months. I'm so excited to use these for my BBQ, they just look so cute.

Ice Lolly Moulds - £1

What I fell most in love with about these is the colours - they are so perfect for the Summer.

Flamingo Napkins

I think I might be a bit obsessed with flamingos at the moment.. but they just scream Summer! I did see some other fancy napkins in The Works the other day but I can't seem to find them online now, but I think these are just as cute! While searching for the napkins, I came across this website & thought how cute it was. Everything for your flamingo needs!

Heart Shaped Bowls

I bought some of these last year & they make excellent dipping bowls. Whenever we have people over, we always use these! Definitely a good investment!

What have you been loving this Summer? I'd love to know!

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Life Lately #108

Hello lovelies,

Long time no speak! I've been away in Corfu then as soon as I returned & went to download all my photos onto my laptop, the bloody thing wouldn't turn on. I've spent the last week or so on the phone to the help line, resetting everything & getting it back to a healthy state, so I apologise for the lack of updates.

Just before I went on holiday, we had 4 ducklings hatch! They are just the cutest little things & have been regularly coming in & enjoying a bath in the house. Ducklings are so messy compared to chicks, so they need to come in to clean themselves every few days & have a splash around. Love this time of year for animals being born!

Ok, so my main update this month is our holiday to Corfu. I want to do a full post & vlog on our adventures, so I won't write much about it here except how amazing it was! We did so much in a week & had non-stop sunshine. (Bit different to our holiday to Lefkas 2 years ago when it rained for half the holiday!) Keep an eye out for that post coming soon & if you'd like to see what I took with me to Corfu, I wrote a full post about packing just before I left.

Last Sunday I held my annual Summer BBQ. I'd bought a marquee for this year as I wasn't sure how the weather would behave, but despite a few short showers in the morning, we had brilliant sunshine all afternoon & evening! Lily arrived in the cutest little dress, can you believe she is now 6 months old?! Crazy. She has just started sitting up on her own so won't be long before she's crawling around. Try & spot her in our pyramid!

I also stole a few ideas off Pinterest (anyone else obsessed with it as much as me!?) for some buffet food ideas. I made these pepper dips, which just involved cutting the bottom of the pepper & taking out the middle, before pouring the dips inside. I also made a watermelon jelly which I didn't manage to photograph unfortunately, but that turned out ok until we had to cut it into slices & it fell apart!

On Monday James & I went to see The Secret Life Of Pets & although it was good, I was a bit disappointed with the storyline, it just wasn't what I was expecting. The characters were good & it was funny, but I wouldn't rush to see it again. Have you seen it?

This week, I also got to meet this gorgeous puppy called Phantom. He belongs to a lady I work with & he came in to visit us on Monday. Isn't he cute?

Yesterday, Alex celebrated his birthday & we had a family meal at a local pub. Too much food was consumed! We also managed to get a group of 'older men' (they must have all been at least 70!) to sing to him! Was so adorable.

& finally I just wanted to include this image I took of our garden last week. Every time I look at it, it reminds me that even during the darkest times, there is light at the end of the rainbow. I've drafted a few more lifestyle posts recently that I can't wait to share with you over the next few weeks, as I'm hoping to change up my content on here to make it more 'me'. I think that's why I had gone off blogging at the beginning of June, it was just so impersonal for me to keep writing reviews of products etc, I want to make this blog about me again.

Hope you're having a lovely week so far guys : )

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