Monday 16 October 2017
My Evening Routine & Why YOU Should Have One
Labels:
bedtime,
evening routine,
Skincare
Sunday 8 October 2017
10 Self Love & Self Care Gift Ideas
Labels:
gifts,
self care,
self development,
self love,
Uncommon Goods
Friday 29 September 2017
Occasional Wear from Quiz Clothing
The dress hugged my figure beautifully.
I'm unsure if I'm a fan of the cami straps. I can't wear a bra with it which makes me feel a little uncomfortable; losing weight has it's disadvantages, they're always the first to go! ;)
But I love the dress. It's comfortable, easy to wear and makes me feel glamorous.
I'd dress it up with a black leather jacket and some cute jewellery and barely there heels.
I love the waistband on the dress, giving the appearance of a pulled in waist #winning!
The fish tail hem is something I've never worn before, it's a really flattering fit and I'll admit, I felt a bit like a mermaid! :)
And the lace and sequinned panels are super pretty. Often lace and sequins can feel scratchy, irritating and generally a bit of a pain to wear, but this feels really soft and comfortable.
Other than the fastening; which I think could do with a better quality zip fastener, the dress looks and feels a lot more expensive than it is; currently on sale down from £64.99 to just £39.99!
*in collaboration with Quiz Clothing
Labels:
dress,
evening gown,
Fashion,
formal wear,
occasional wear,
QUIZ Clothing
Tuesday 19 September 2017
Gifts to Let Them Know You Are Thinking of Them
Have you ever witnessed people who are important to you going through tough times; you wish you could help but you don't know how? Sometimes it's nice to just let them know you are thinking of them.
It doesn't have to be anything big, the smallest of gestures simply to let them know you are there, you are thinking of them and most importantly that 'they've got this!' can really help someone going through a hard time, needs a boost or to simply to know you have their back.
Six months ago when I went through a difficult time, my friends sent me a framed quote stating 'You are braver than you believe, stronger than you feel and smarter than you think' with a little note inside with some special words from them. I cried when I first opened it. One, because knowing my friends were thinking about me meant SO much to me. I felt like my whole world as I knew it had come crashing down, and knowing I still had my amazing friends there, thinking about me, holding me up, meant the absolute world. And two, because I really hoped the words were true!
The frame still sits on my bedside table, and I smile every time I see it. The words are now true. And I'm reminded that I'm a very lucky girl to have friends like those!
A friend of mine has recently been really unhappy in her job. It's been really getting her down and despite me telling her that she's bloody amazing and should go for her dream job, she's really lacking in confidence and holding herself back.
This engraved compact mirror contains the words 'Your Only Limit is YOU'.
It's a quote that means a lot to me and something that has really helped me.
It's a quote that means a lot to me and something that has really helped me.
I want her to read these words, know that I completely believe in her and that she CAN make this happen and I want her to look in the mirror and see the amazing person that she is.
The mirror is a beautiful round silver handbag mirror with the engraved message on the top and opens easily with the push clasp to reveal two mirrors; one being a magnifying mirror.
It has a real expensive feel to it and makes a really lovely, thoughtful gift for someone to carry around with them.
If you're looking for a thoughtful gift for a loved one, simply to let them know you are thinking of them, visit the website here.
It has a real expensive feel to it and makes a really lovely, thoughtful gift for someone to carry around with them.
The compact mirror can be engraved with up to 72 characters and comes in a cute black gift box, making it ideal for any occasion. These are perfect personalised presents to give as thoughtful keepsakes and are really affordable starting at just £18.99!
GiftsOnline4U is an online gift shop based in Lincolnshire, specialising in personalised and engraved gifts such as watches, glassware, alcohol gifts and jewellery, for any event or occasion from weddings to birthdays. They also offer free standard UK delivery on all gifts across the site with the option of upgrading to next working day delivery for just £5 if you’re looking to get your gift in a hurry. Personalised gifts can mean so much more. To know that somebody has chosen a specific quote, or wrote a special message just for me, can make all the difference!
If you're looking for a thoughtful gift for a loved one, simply to let them know you are thinking of them, visit the website here.
What is the most thoughtful present you have received?
*in collaboration with GiftsOnline4U
Sunday 10 September 2017
The Best Cup of Hot Chocolate for Autumn
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Who loves Hershey's?
Founded in 1894, Hershey's has been a chocolate staple in Pennsylvania now for well over 100 years. And when you taste their classic milk chocolate assortments, you know why!
Instead of snacking on a couple of Hershey's Kisses, why not brew a delicious cup of hot choc!! Perfect for those chilly Autumn mornings!
How to Make a Heartwarming Cup of Hershey's Hot Chocolate
Here's one of my favourite recipes to make family nights that little bit more special.
You'll need Hershey Kisses, 2 cups of milk, whipped cream, marshmallows and a touch of cinnamon.
It's pretty simple to make, just pour the cups of milk into a saucepan and put over the stove. Once you begin to see bubbles, stir in the Hershey's Kisses until they dissolve. After that, turn off the heat and pour into mugs. Add the whipped cream and sprinkle a dash of cinnamon.
You can thank me later! ;)
Room to Improvise
What I love about this recipe is that you can change it up however you please. Feel free to use skimmed, semi skimmed or full fat milk. Or almond, soya or rice milk are great substitutes!
And use as many Kisses as you like. Personally I'd use 20, 50 tops. For those of you who like your hot chocolate a bit more 'bitter', use dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate. Also, skip the cinnamon, use chocolate shavings... or both! ;)
Surprise the Kids
You could also put your little ones favourite sweets on top! Sprinkle M&M minis over the whipped cream and marshmallows, crumble some cookies mint chocolates or any other sweets from Sweet Services.
Can't Get Enough?
Start a new family tradition by sipping on hot chocolate before trick-or-treating this Halloween! Or make a few cups to enjoy while watching a family movie. Its a nice way to make those family moments much more special!
Have any of your own hot chocolate recipes to share?
I'd love to hear them below!!
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Labels:
Autumn,
cold weather,
family nights in,
hot chocolate
Monday 4 September 2017
Freshening up your home decor
Labels:
freshening up the home,
Home,
home decor,
Lifestyle,
VELUX
Monday 28 August 2017
Back to School with Highcross Leicester
This weekend saw Leicester's iconic shopping centre, the Highcross, launch their first ever 'Back to School' Kids 5 event, helping children and their parents find the perfect uniform, coats, bags, shoes and stationary to ensure they're all kitted out ready for the new term.
Experts were on hand to show off their top picks for the most stylish and practical items to update that school wardrobe.
You may have seen my Insta Stories where the lovely stylist Elise showed us around each podium taking us through her favourite pieces from a selection of stores in the Highcross.
Uniform. Trousers specifically can be a pain to get right, who's with me?
When my eldest was young, I used to buy from supermarkets due to how quickly he grew. Not to mention the amount of times he'd come home with holes in them from diving around the playground! But as he got older I found Next were amazing for trousers and they'd often last all year!
And of course there's the whole issue of whether to choose between front pleated, flat front, chino style, jean style or skinny fit, particularly when they get older and begin to want more 'trendier' styles. Department stores such as Next and Marks & Spencer are great for finding different options.
Whilst at the event, a Mum with a teenage boy spotted some slim fit trousers and a muscle-fit shirt from Topman on the rails and spoke about how she'd been looking for the perfect style to suit her son! She was super happy and headed straight for Topman... I would never have thought of looking in Topman for uniform either but I imagine now my eldest is in his teens and becoming more aware of how he looks and feels in clothes, we'll be going this way very soon!!
I loved looking through the rails of coats and jackets.
There was a whole range of options from Nursery age right up to teenagers. From little unicorn jackets to trendy bombers and adorable Cath Kidston jackets emblazoned with little vehicles to waterproof numbers from Trespass, there's something for every little fashionista!
Shoes. Shoes. Shoes.
Over the years, shoes has always been the biggest issue when it comes to school uniform for me. When my eldest was younger, he went through SO many pairs; scuffing them, putting holes in them, growing too fast...
This hasn't really changed as he's got older, but then we have the 'I'm not wearing those, Mum, I want branded ones...' situation going on.
I remember spending an absolute fortune on a pair of leather shoes for his first year of secondary school. They lasted 2 weeks before practically begged me to get him different ones as he was complaining people were making comments. He's very lucky that his school allow trainers as long as they are completely black with no coloured markings.
But being a size 8/9 adult size, you can imagine how much these cost me each time!
Fortunately, Highcross have a great range of shoe retailers from sports shops, department stores to the well known fashion footwear stores such as Office and Schuh.
The shoe stand had a mix of fashionable leather shoes, fab memory foam shoes from Sketchers & cute leather pumps for the girls.
I fell in love with the super cute Cath Kidston shoes above, with the animal face tongues. So adorable. Perfect for Nursery aged children. My youngest starts Nursery school this week and has to wear black shoes, but I'm definitely heading to Cath Kidston soon to see what every day wear shoes they have for him!

Bags and accessories were my favourite bit as a kid. I loved funky stationary!! Shops like Smiggle and Paperchase would have been heaven for me back then! All the bright colours, sparkly and funky pieces available now; they're so lucky nowadays!
Located on the first floor in the Highcross are personalised gift experts Image Surgeons who currently have a fantastic 20% off offer on selected back to school items including personalised lunch boxes!
Smiggle and Claire's Accessories have some cute and quirky lunch boxes and flasks in store. I love the Unicorn flask above, bang on trend right now!
Fortunately for me, my eldest is more than happy with a plain pencil case with a pen, pencil and ruler inside. :) But for those, like me, who love pretty stationary are spoilt for choice with what's on offer at stores around the Highcross.
I'll be honest, I'm heading to Cath Kidston very soon to grab some cute new stationary for my businesses too!!
You can never have too much pretty stationary, right?
If you're heading down to the Highcross soon, make sure you download the Highcross Plus app for exclusive offers, competitions & more.
I mean, where else can you bag 10% off the little ones Trespass jacket for school, before heading for Mission Burrito for a well earned lunch; getting a massive 20% off of course, then kitting the kids out with the quirkiest bags and stationary in Claire's Accessories; getting £5 off a £25 spend and not forgetting the free additional scoop on your Thorntons Ice Cream before you head home! ;)
A huge thank you to Elise and everyone involved in the Kids 5 event this weekend, for being so lovely and helpful and posing for the best boomerangs! ;)
*In collaboration with Highcross & FrankPR
Labels:
Highcross,
Highcross PLUS,
Kids5,
school,
school uniform,
secondary school,
starting school
Thursday 3 August 2017
Violet Voss 'Holy Grail' Palette - My Thoughts
Back in February I asked for the Violet Voss Holy Grail eyeshadow palette for my birthday. I didn't get it. I didn't get anything. So of course I treated myself to it. I wasn't going to miss out, I needed this baby in my life!!
There had been a huge hype when it was first launched, I heard mixed reviews but it was still something I wanted to try myself. Full of warm toned, almost autumnal themed shades; all bronzes, browns and burgundies, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it!
I love the palette.
It's huge. The shadows themselves are a fantastic size. That's what originally drew me to this palette. You're definitely getting your moneys worth. All forty quid of it.
Packaging
This palette is the perfect travel friendly palette. If a huge, chunky palette fits in your case of course! ;) But the 20 eyeshadows are housed inside a hard cardboard case, with a magnetic fastening. All cosy and protected! haha. It has that shiny cardboard that unfortunately leaves messy fingerprints everywhere though, which is a bit of a pain.
The mirror is great though, a great size and an actual proper mirror too, none of that shiny silver card you can get in some palettes.
Eyeshadows
There are a mixture of shimmers and mattes and all seem to have different formulas. I'll be completely honest, there are some that are absolutely gorgeous; buttery smooth, easy to blend and amazingly pigmented yet some are chalky, difficult to blend and have a lot of fall out. I'll admit, it's pot luck with these shadows. But the majority are gorgeous, I mean, look at those colours!
I'm not the best with eyeshadow, eye looks aren't my strong point, I definitely need more practice, but these colours are beautiful and easy to work with.
The shimmers are my favourites. They're creamy, beautiful colours and lovely to use. They're not so long lasting without a primer though. Whereas the mattes are extremely pigmented and budge proof, they actually stain my makeup brushes :/
Labels:
Beauty,
Eyes,
eyeshadow palette,
Holy Grail,
Violet Voss
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