Letting go of blogging

I started blogging around about 2009. I've been doing it ever since and I've never been more unhappy with it than I have been this year. Towards the end of last year I was thinking about giving it all up but my boyfriend bought me some camera lenses for my 'blogging' camera and I felt a bit like I had to carry on. I must admit after using the lenses I really enjoyed taking photos and I feel like they improved a little bit (despite finding out I'd been transferring minute size copies of the images onto my laptop for years) but this year I've just lost all interest.

I don't really care about the latest lipsticks and I even got a bit fed up of Manicure Monday's and felt like spending my money on nail polishes was a bit of a waste. I got fed up of pressuring myself on a weekend to get blog photos taken and posts written when I'd already spent a whole week working 9-5.30pm in front of a computer.

I'd taken multiple 'blog breaks' through the year but nothing really helped so I finally decided that was it a couple of weeks ago...so I'm not quite sure what I'm doing here now to be honest. I feel like completely taking the pressure off has allowed some words to just flow freely from my fingers. I don't have anything to review/promote this time and I'm just getting things out of my brain. I don't even know if I'll publish this but it feels good to be writing something down.

During the past few weeks I've had lovely relaxing weekends. I've spent an entire Saturday doing my housework without worrying about having to slot in some time to take photos. I even spent a Sunday or two on the sofa and I got through the entire new Harry Potter book within two hours. It was magical (lol, sorry!).

It's nice to say I don't have anything planned on the weekend. It's nice to pop out to town or if Vince has the day off from work it's nice to spend it together and go somewhere without having this nagging in the back of my head about having to get blog photos taken.

I don't think I'll go back to blogging like I was before on a regular basis. Sometimes I do get the urge to get all the pretty blog props out and start shooting away but then I remember I want to keep all the pressure off. I don't want to worry about comment numbers and who is or isn't reading and I don't want to keep comparing my blog to the thousands and thousands of other perfect ones out there so instead I think I'll just use this as my little space on the Internet where I can jot down thoughts and let words spill out spontaneously.

Until next time...

H&M Home blog photo prop haul

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about my New Look blog photo prop haul and I have say it went down rather well. It seems I'm not alone in seeing homeware products as blog photo props instead so when I was in London recently I just had to pop into H&M Home.

I was very good and quite restrained, just picking up three little bits in order to give my blog photos a bit of a makeover as I have to admit the copper props were getting a bit samey in every pic. I got myself a very pretty silver pinapple, which only when I got it home did I realise it was a candle, a geometric print cushion cover and a small porcelain plate with some really cute detailing around the edge. You can see the first set of photos I took with the new props here and I have to say I'm really pleased. I like the monochrome look and the plate in particular is fab for popping nail polishes on.




I'm starting to build up a bit of a collection of little plates, they're just perfect props for blog photos and I've seen lots of other bloggers using them too. I know that TK Maxx and Sainsburys have lots of cute ones so I may need to pick up some more. I love the detailing on the edge of this one, very pretty with the blank, white and gold colour pattern.

I also find that tea towels and cushion covers make fab backgrounds too, in particular monochrome ones with geometric patterns like this that I picked up. It looks nice just poking out of a photo and takes away the harshness of the fake wooden floor background. I definitely need to pick up more cushion covers, H&M had loads of different colours and patterns...I feel like this could be my new obsession.

So what are your thoughts on this mini H&M Home haul? What bits have you picked up recently for use as blog photo props? Let me know in the comments.

Summer scent-sations from Yankee Candle Riviera Escape collection

Looking around my lounge I can count 11 Yankee Candle jars...it's safe to say I have a bit of a problem, but looking around my lounge, I can't actually count many non-Christmassy/autumnal candles so that's my excuse for recently receiving four jars from the new Riviera Escape collection!

I was definitely in the market for something a bit less autumnal and a bit more refreshing. The Riviera Escape collection from Yankee Candle at Love Aroma includes four different candles, Olive & Thyme, Sea Salt & Sage, Summer Peach and Riviera Escape, all of which are super refreshing and uplifting but completely different from one another at the same time.





Olive & Thyme - the lime green colour of this candle looks great and reminds me of green grass in summer. It definitely has a citrus scent in there but it's not too heavy, but very invigorating, almost like a citrus shower gel that wakes you up in the morning.

Sea Salt & Sage - crisp white candles like this one are always so aesthetically pleasing. This one not only looks good on my shelves but the scent is really light and clean. The sage isn't too overpowering and it definitely has a whiff that takes me straight to my happy place of walking along the seafront.

Riviera Escape - this one also has a coastal/seaside scent to it combined with a beautiful blossom. It's another crisp and fresh scent that's perfect if you want something lighter during the day time.

Summer peach - this one is a superbly juicy peachy scent that's not too sickening when you give it a sniff. Another great one if you want something light during the day time, it would work equally well in the bathroom if you want a nice, relaxing candle lit bath.



The Riviera Escape collection is a really nice, well rounded mix of colours and scents. Each scent is quite simple and not too over complicated. When you think of summer, you think of holidays, the beach and fresh fruit smells and this range delivers on all of these. They're all very refreshing and crisp scents so won't fill up a room too heavily like an autumnal candle can and they can be used individually as well as lit together to create more scent-sations.

Have you tried any of the Yankee Candle Riviera Escape collection yet? Let me know your fave in the comments.

*This post contains PR samples.

New Look blog photo prop haul

I was recently trying to think of some blog post ideas and wondered if people might like to see what blog props I used in my photos. I remembered I had recently bought a few little props that I'm loving so much at the mo and then I realised they're all from New Look and so the idea for this mini haul post was born.

You really know you're a blogger when you're browsing the home section of any shop and instead of seeing ornaments or bits and pieces for your home you instead see blog photo props. I have more than enough candles around the house but no tealights, so of course I bought copper tealight holders, but these aren't for holding candles, they're for my blog photos. I love the copper cage style holder and as you can see, it's perfect for placing a nail polish into for a really nice framed shot. It's also great for make-up brush shots. It can be a little difficult with focusing but it's definitely my fave prop at the moment, it's literally in every single photo I take!




Recently I was in New Look again and a lot of the home items were reduced so I picked up the two smaller copper tealight holders. These are super cute for blog photos and work nicely with the other one I have. They're great for holding rings/jewellery in a shot or to just place in the background to fill a space.



I also picked up a really cute white heart shaped light, which is probably not something I'd ever have in my house as I just have nowhere to put it but it makes a great photo prop. At the moment I'm using it to fill some space in photos so you can only really see it poking into the corner of a photo but it's also great for using as a white background for a little product such as a nail polish.

So these are my go-to blog photo props at the moment. I love seeing what other bloggers use in their pics so hopefully you found this semi-interesting. Do let me know what blog props you use in the comments.

The realities of finishing University

I remember the night I found out I was going to graduate Uni with a 2:1 (six years ago may I add, omg!). Our results were available on the University portal at midnight and I remember logging in, taking a deep breath and clicking to reveal my grade. I was so relieved! Three years of hard work (and maybe a bit of partying) had paid off, but once it had sunk in I was like 'so, what now?'.

When I was at Uni I had this great dream that I was going to graduate and immediately get a job thanks to my degree. For the small majority this might be the case but for most people the reality is that you'll probably be going back home for a considerable amount of time in order to job hunt. I moved back home and went to work at a holiday camp while job searching. It took around a year or so before I found something but I went through lots of interviews and lots of knockbacks before getting a job, which I might add isn't in a glitzy magazine in London that I so naively thought it would be when I first started my course.

Looking back it was so unrealistic to think I'd simply go straight into a job and I feel like it's so important that students know that it's not a race. You have to do what's best for you and if that's moving home and working in a retail job or in a bar or anything like that then there's no shame in it. In fact taking time out after Uni to do something completely different and just get used to not being a student anymore is probably a good thing because you can have a good hard think about what it is you actually want to do. You might want to go traveling for instance. I thought what I wanted was a glitzy magazine job in London but now I couldn't think of anything worse than living in London to be honest!

In the end I got a job in PR and while it wasn't a magazine there was/is still lots of writing involved and I've discovered a love for blogging and social media, something I didn't really have while at Uni.

I certainly don't want to put anyone down if they've just received their final grade but I think it's so important that people are realistic about what happens after Uni. Personally I think it should be something that is told/taught to us before we even start. You might go straight into a job with your degree and that's great or you might end up doing something completely different and that's great too. Don't get too bogged down in finding the 'dream' job and just see where life takes you.

How to stop living for the weekend

When you're working full time 9am - 5pm (ish) it's hard to not live for the weekends. Long lovely lie-ins, tea in a snuggly bed and two days of no stress stretching out before you.

It's all too easy to clock watch, finally get home and then slump on the sofa in-front of the TV for the rest of the evening. While you may not feel like doing anything after a hard day's work, popping various activities into your week nights actually gives you something other than the weekend to look forward to and it helps the week appear as if it's going faster too. I thought I'd share a few tips you could try to keep yourself busy during the week in order to stop yourself living for the weekend.

Take up a hobby
Taking up a new hobby to keep you occupied during the week is a great idea. I've been attending crochet classes every other Thursday and I really look forward to them. The hobby also stretches to outside of classes as I can come home from work and spend the evening with my hands full of wool, creating something lovely. It's very therapeutic and relaxing too.

Hit an exercise class
If you want something a bit more active then signing up to an exercise class is a good idea too. Last year I took up spin and now my mum and I attend Yoga every week. I also have a spin bike in my garage, which technically is still at home, but I have to go through the garden to the garage so I technically get away from the house and can shut myself away with no distractions. Exercise is a great way of getting your stresses of the day out - especially if you have a particularly stressful job!

Cook up a storm
Cooking is something I've been doing more and more of recently. When I get home from work I pop some music on and hit up one of my recipe books. It may seem pretty simple but cooking/eating is definitely something to look forward to, especially if like me you don't think of anything else but food!

Walkies
It's a lot easier to go for a nice walk with all this lovely weather we're having. We have two beaches near us so I love to walk along the sea front. We also have a woods, which I like to visit too. It's good to get some fresh air into your lungs and again, it's something to look forward to while you're daydreaming out of the office window.

Get your blog on
Another one that's easier with the lighter evenings is getting on with some blogging in the evenings. If you spend all day on a computer you may not be keen on the writing bit but perhaps you could take some photos, get organised, write lists, sort out all your products or work on the layout side of things.

I definitely need to take my own advice with this one as blogging for me is usually left until a Sunday and I then feel it's eating into my weekend, so if I got organised and got my blog on during the week nights it would definitely leave me more free time!

Sometimes all you want to do is come home and chill out in-front of the sofa and once you've finished work you probably can't muster the energy for a workout or going for a walk but once you've done it you feel so much better. It feels like you've lengthened the day a bit, that your whole day hasn't been surrounded by work and you have some kind of life again.

P.S - I haven't been able to get that awful Hard-Fi 'Living for the Weekend' song out of my head since writing this post.

Vita Coco Coconut Oil for the beauty and kitchen cupboard

Not often is there a beauty product that can be used in the kitchen as well. Coconut Oil is by no means a new product but it's become incresingly popular recently, being loved by the health concious, beauty bloggers and foodies!

The Vita Coco pots of coconut oil are cold-pressed and popped in their pots. When cold the coconut oil hardens, a bit like lard/butter but still retains its coconutty smell. I personally think it smells of the 'NICE' biscuits you can buy, delish!

I was recently sent a little pack of Vita Coco Coconut Oil to try for myself and so far I'm pretty impressed with the amount of things it can be used for.

In the kitchen...
Coconut Oil can be used in place of fat or oil in most recipes. My Lean in 15 Cook Book has a lot of recipes that incorporate coconut oil and it's great to cook with as it melts so easily, but it should be used in moderation as it's pretty high in saturated fats. It's perfect for vegetarians and vegans too and is 100% organic and 100% raw.

I recently gave the Lean in 15 Tuna and Courgette Fritters recipe a try, which was SO simple. The mix consists of tuna, grated courgette, onion, peppers, egg and flour, which I simply popped into the pan and sizzled it slowly in the coconut oil. The oil melts almost instantly and gives a lovely coconutty smell when cooking.

I cooked the fritters using the coconut oil and had to let them rest on kitchen roll just to soak up any excess oil. There wasn't a lot of excess oil when we reheated them for dinner, which was great, but there was a slight coconutty taste to them. It wasn't too overpowering and even my boyfriend, who doesn't like eating coconut, wasn't too bothered by it. The fritters were actually really yummy and I was super impressed with the coconut oil, it was a really nice change from using normal oil.

According to Vita Coco is also works a treat in cakes, stir frys, bread, biscuits and even added to smoothies. Basically if your recipe mentions needing oil you can use coconut oil as an alternative.





In your beauty regime...
Something I'm a bit more familiar with than cooking is beauty and coconut oil has SO many uses when it comes to your beauty regime. I've been using it on dry skin on my elbows, on dry patches of skin to keep it well moisturised and even on my cuticles. You can use it round your cuticles when painting your nails to help easily remove any smudges you might make.

It can also be used as a lip balm, cleanser, hand cream, make-up remover and even a hair mask. Why not add some lemon and sugar to create your own scrub, or use it as a leave-in conditioner, a shaving cream or add baking soda to create a whitening toothpaste or even use it to combat bad breath by 'oil pulling'.

It's become quite obvious to me that every household needs coconut oil in either its beauty cupboard or its kitchen cupboard. The oil is best used in its hardened form for anything beauty-wise but can be heated really easily for all things cooking. I'm super impressed by its many uses and I've got a little pot of the good stuff in my bathroom and one in my kitchen too.

The fab people over at Vita Coco have put together The complete life guide to coconut oil to help you on your way to using coconut oil in your daily life.

*This post contains PR samples.

Bubble T luxuries for the bath

Weirdly around this time last year everyone went mad for The Body Shop's Fuji Green Bath Tea. A year on I still have mine. The pot has rusted and is really hard to open and the tea strainer is full of the green tea gunk so I thought it was about time I got something new for bath times.

I've seen Bubble T on the blogosphere quite a few times so when I spotted some of the products on the shelves in Superdrug on a random shopping trip, I just had to stop and pick something up. The Bath T-bags caught my eye instantly and reminded me a lot of The Body Shop tea from last year so in the basket it went. I also spotted the Bath Oil Pearls, which reminded me of the ones I used to get as a kid, so decided to pick these up as well. I also wish I'd got myself a packet of the Bath Fizzies too but maybe next time!

Inspired by Taiwanese tea, the Bubbles & Tea range includes a shower gel, body spray, bath fizzes, bath pearls, bath and shower jelly and bath T-Bags. The range has a super fresh and fruity scent and the T-Bags in particular smell exactly like strawberry sherbert, it's amazing! They look exactly like tea bags too, with the bath product coming in a little material bag complete with string. You simply pop them in the bath and they turn your water a pretty pinky shade, infusing it with Goji berries and antioxidants and leaving you smelling super fresh and your skin feeling super soft.

The Bath Oil Pearls are a real treat for the skin. They come packed full of the same fresh berry and tea scents and once melted, the oils leave your skin feeling lovely and moisturised.

I paid £5.99 for each of these but they have reduced in price now to £3.99. I personally didn't mind paying £5.99 each for these as I guess I was feeling a bit flush on the day! You certainly get your money's worth as there are absolutely loads of the pearls and a good number of the T-Bags too.

When you think of bath products you immediately think Lush and bath bombs but sometimes I find bath bombs a little bit too much. Too much colour/fizz and scent, they can be a bit overpowering so the Bubble T T-Bags and Pearls are ideal if you want something a bit simpler and fresher.

Have you tried any Bubble T products? Let me know what you thought in the comments.

PS - fun fact, when I was a kid I sniffed a green bath pearl up my nose in Boots...30 minutes later it started to melt...I'll leave that image with you.

Simple accessories from Jewellery Box

If you know me personally (or maybe even virtually) you'll know I'm a big earring fan. I'm a big piercing fan full stop but I have ears full of piercings and that therefore means I'm always changing up my earring game and looking for new ones. I was getting a bit bored of the tacky cheap earrings I was previously wearing so when JewelleryBox.co.uk contacted me and asked if I'd like to try some from their website I absolutely jumped at the chance.

It was a complete surprise as to what I was going to receive, I just let them know I was a big earring fan! A cute little box arrived for me a couple of days later and inside that box were even more cute little boxes, like a Russian doll of boxes if you will. Each box had a gorgeous pair of earrings in and one even had what I thought was a ring but is actually a toe ring!

I received the Cute Bow Stud Earrings, the Small Sterling Silver Infinity Pull Through Earrings, which are super duper dangly, the Sterling Silver & 7mm Round Sky Blue Topaz Gemstone Rubover Stud Earrings and finally, the Sterling Silver Arrow Design Adjustable Midi Toe Ring, which I think I'd prefer to wear as a normal ring!

Everything is super cute for a start and looking at the pricing, it's pretty reasonable too. What really interested me were the super dangly pull through earrings, which aren't something I've tried before. They don't have backs on obviously so you can pull them through your ear to a length you'd prefer. Now, without backs on you'd think these would fall out but I've been wearing them for days at a time and they don't move at all. I've been wearing them at the longest length you can but I could pull them through further just to shorten them a bit as they did sometimes get tangled in my hair!

The bow studs are also super pretty and I've found they look really nice with the blue topaz studs. I've been wearing the blue topaz studs in my third piercing along but they're pretty big and bulky so I think it might be worth wearing them in the first piercing hole so there's a bit more of my lobe around them.

I'm not fussy with gold or silver but I do often suffer with sore ears from some of the cheaper jewellery that I do wear. I've been wearing all of these for a week now (the dangly ones off and on) and they haven't affected my ears at all, which I'm really happy about.

I'm so glad that JewelleryBox.co.uk got in touch with me because I've discovered so many different, lovely earrings and I'm pleasantly surprised that they also sell nose studs, which is great! There are some really gorgeous pieces at reasonable prices and what I love most is that the little boxes they come in can be used as storage, something which I've been looking for for absolutely ages!

Have you tried anything from JewelleryBox.co.uk? Let me know in the comments.

Footwear for spring: Butterfly Twists Jade Dalmation Slip On

All winter I've been living in socks and ankle boots and I feel like it's time for my ankles to be free! As the weather is warming up I finally think it's time to cast the boots aside and get into some new spring appropriate footwear.

In 2012 (omg!) I was introduced to Butterfly Twists footwear and in particular its foldable ballet pumps. These ballet pumps lasted so long and I wore them so often so when I was recently contacted by the brand and asked if I'd like to try a pair of shoes from its SS16 range, I just had to see what was on offer. I went for a pair of Jade Grey Dalmation skater style slip ons as I was looking for something a bit more spring appropriate but something that wouldn't leave me with cold feet! These are perfect and I love the grey brushed fur and black dalmation pattern!

I went for the grey version of these as I felt like the leopard and zebra print versions were a little OTT and not very me, plus grey goes with most things so a lot more practical. £60 is definitely more than I would spend on a pair of skater shoes if I'm honest. I probably wouldn't spend more than £30 but as I've been wearing these more and more I am seeing the worth of these and I know how long Butterfly Twists' shoes last too so these could be a real investment piece.

Butterfly Twists are known for their foldable pumps, which make them super easy to pack and travel with and they're super convenient if you need to pop them in your bag ready for a night out. These skater shoes are also foldable and come with their own handy little bag so if you do need to pack them, you can make sure they're kept nice and clean. As these are foldable they do ruche up in the middle, effectively pulling the shoes up at the back so on the first couple of wears these did rub quite a bit on the back of my heel. As the shoes stretched the rubbing stopped and they're actually really comfortable. The insides are pretty padded and there is a cute cushion inside on the heel part for extra comfort.

I'm pretty much a jeans and tee/jumper kind of girl so these look really nice with a pair of jeans, whatever colour they are. They're super comfy for wearing all day long and make a perfect spring shoe!

Have you tried anything from Butterfly Twists' new SS16 range? Let me know in the comments.

*This post contains a PR sample

Five simple ways to cheer yourself up

In a bid to mix things up a bit on the blog and stop the constant barrage of beauty reviews, I thought I'd put together this little list of things I personally do when I'm in a bad mood, which according to my boyfriend, is a lot of the time (har har!). Hopefully if you're having a rubbish day then these things might help, they're just a few simple pick-me-ups that I find really improve my mood.

Buy yourself some flowers
When I'm in a bad/sad mood I want to buy all the things! It's tricky to stop myself from going full on Supermarket Sweep in Boots or New Look. Buying lots of junk you don't need is only a temporary fix and the next day you'll be instantly regretting it. You can never regret buying yourself flowers though, they'll cheer you up for at least a week or two (if you remember to keep the water fresh) after your sad day/bad mood so I always like to have a fresh bunch in the house. You don't have to go for the expensive bouquets either, supermarkets sell cute little bunches of tulips for as little as £2.

You could even find yourself a pot, some dirt and some tulip bulbs and plant your own. Mine are just starting to come out now so when they're ready I can snip them and pop them in a vase!

Exercise
Regular exercise really helps improve my mood. I've recently taken up Yoga which is extremely relaxing and consists of sleeping on the floor for 20 minutes, oh and some stretches here and there...but if Yoga isn't your thing then something more intense like aerobics, kickboxing or even spinning is a great way to improve your mood. It's a well-known fact that exercise helps if you're feeling down, it gets your heart beat up and gives you something else to concentrate on. It releases endorphines, which trigger a positive feeling. It's also a great way of getting all your frustrations out.

You don't even need to be a Gym member or go to a class, just search up a Youtube vid and get your exercise on anywhere in your house where there's a bit of space!

Immerse yourself in something that takes no brain power
Sometimes I just need a day (usually a Sunday) where I stay on the sofa under my blanket and watch rubbish on TV or binge watch a TV series. Alternatively you could read books/mags or spend hours watching Youtube videos. Whatever it is that needs little to no brain power, do it and don't feel guilty for taking a day out either.

Go for a walk
Walking does come under the exercise category so again, getting your heart beat up and those endorphines flowing is going to boost your mood physically but walking is also great mentally and when I say walking I don't mean round the shops..I mean a proper across fields, through woods kind of walk! In my local area we have a great woods, which we like to walk in, we also have beaches and it always cheers me up to walk along the seafront, smelling the fish and chips, listening to the seagulls and the sound of the waves. Just giving your mind a break and getting some fresh air always does the world of good

Chat to a good friend/relative
Meeting up with a good friend or even a close relative is a great way to cheer yourself up. I really enjoy going for a cup of tea in a local cafe with my sister and just having a good moan. I like to let it all out and enjoy a cake while I'm there! You don't even have to talk about what's bothering you, just having a good chat and a laugh can put you in a great mood!

What are your top tips for cheering yourself up? Leave them in the comments and I'll give them a try.

Spring clean your make-up collection

So spring has well and truly arrived and I don't know about you but I have that 'spring clean' itch that makes me want to sort things out and get rid of all of the clutter in my house. The easiest thing I thought I'd start with is my make-up collection, which is a ridiculous size, especially when I only wear mascara and eyeshadow on a daily basis and even then I use the same palette again and again! I thought I'd share a couple of my top tips for helping to de-clutter your make-up collection or make-up bag, hope they help!



Wash your brushes
Probably one of the most obvious things to do when spring cleaning. I definitely don't wash my brushes often enough so they're in desperate need of a good clean. Not too long ago I picked up the Lottie London Soap Star Solid Brush Cleanser, which makes washing brushes a quick and super simple process so I'd definitely recommend picking this up or something similar. Alternatively, you can use baby shampoo to wash your brushes or simply some warm water and lots of scrubbing power!

Get rid of out-of-date products
The thought of how long some of my make-up products have been sitting in my make-up bags or pots for is quite disturbing. 'They' say that mascaras shouldn't be used after three months so if you have any that are older than this then definitely chuck them in the bin. It's so important to keep on top of your mascara use as they can attract nasty bacteria and lead to eye infections so if they're a bit dry or smell a bit funky then it's definitely time to get rid!

Lipsticks and foundations can last a little longer than mascaras, from six months to a year roughly. Liquid-based make-up is the most important one to keep your eye on as it can seperate and grow bacteria a lot easier than non liquids. My rule is if it doesn't look right then it's better to be safe than sorry and say bye bye!

I recently went through my collection and a couple of the liquid-based products that I've had for a LONG time had separated and had an alcoholic/chemical smell to them (gross!) so they went in the bin!



Invest in make-up bags or make-up storage
In my bedroom I keep all my make-up on a shelving unit. It gets really dusty so I have invested in lots of make-up bags to keep things nice and clean and reduce dust. It's also a good idea to invest in some make-up brush pots so your brushes are easily accessible and maybe some clear plastic storage so you can still see which products you have and choose which ones you want to use but you can keep them organised and tidy. Nothing annoys me more than seeing products rolling around all over the place!

Donate any doubles
I don't know about you but I have so many doubles of the same nail polish shade and so many eyeshadow palettes that contain nude/brown shades that I've lost count. It's time to sort through them all, decide which ones you absolutely do need to keep and maybe donate any doubles to family or friends.



Reduce your numbers
If you're anything like me then you'll have a huge collection so it's always a good idea to regularly reduce the number of products you have. If you haven't used anything in three months or more then get rid - chuck it out or donate it to family or friends, it's up to you. Think about creating a capsule collection so a range of very basic shades, products for creating the perfect smoky eye and ones that you keep for special occasions or for best, such as that gorgeous Chanel eyeshadow!

Have you got any make-up collection spring cleaning tips? Leave them in the comments!

Five good things this week

I thought I'd start a bit of a new series here on the blog, a bit of re-invention of my Sunday Summary posts, but instead of talking about everything that went on in the week I thought I'd instead talk about five things in particular that really made my week. The first three months of this year have been absolute poo to put it politely so I thought focusing on some of the positives might be a nice change.

Week off
I've had the past week off work, my first week off since Christmas and it's been rather lovely. Vince also managed to book off two consecutive days so on Tuesday we popped out for breakfast and Wednesday we headed out for lunch and some shopping, but more on that later. Every time I say I have a week off work people ask me where I'm off to or what I'm doing but to be honest I never have anything planned. It's just nice to be at home and I managed to get some blog photos taken during the daylight!

Yoga
On Monday I went to my very first yoga class! I've been doing yoga at home on Youtube on and off but it caused pain in my shoulders and neck so I'm not sure I was really doing it properly and it was about time I found a 'proper' class to go to. I took my mum along with me and it was pretty relaxing for a Monday night workout...it's really my kind of workout when you get to spend about 20 minutes 'asleep' on the floor. Score! I'm really looking forward to the next class.

Exercise bike
All that sleeping and relaxing in Yoga means I do need to do something a bit more vigorous so I have finally ordered myself an exercise bike to save me all the embarrasment of having to run out of my spin class to throw up. Yes it happened, twice. I thought I'd get my own bike so I can go at my own pace instead of pushing myself too hard to meet what the spin class teacher is shouting at me to do. I need to be sure I do push myself a little bit, building up resistance on the bike etc but I'm starting off very simply for the first week.

Lunch and shopping!
On Wednesday Vince and I decided to pop to Bristol for a spot of shopping and some lunch at one of our fave all-you-can-eat restaurants. Although my purse was quite literally groaning, I picked myself up a new pair of jeans, a jumper and a new sports bra top for all that working out I am yet to do. Vince treated me to lunch and we absolutely stuffed ourselves silly as per usual. It's a Pan Asian restaurant so has all of our faves but Vince went all out with chinese followed by roast dinner and then curry! I stuck to mostly chinese food and it was delish!

It was really nice to go a shopping centre on a week day as everyone else was at work so it was nice and quiet! Primark was a dream!

Masterchef!
Masterchef may be a slight exaggeration but this week has been full of baking and 'proper' cooking. I've been trying to make some 'different' dishes for our dinner recently, using recipes online and a couple of cook books. I started out with Red Pesto Chicken Pasta followed by a Chicken and Mushroom Pie on Friday. I whipped up some Rocky Road Mini Egg bites, which you can see here and I have Spanish Sausage Goulash planned as well before needing to research some more recipes. I'm not sure what prompted me to do some proper cooking for a change, I guess it's because Vince has been working so late most evenings and apart from this week off, I will usually be at home around 6.30pm so thought I better put my time to good use. I'm not usually a good cook so this will give me lots of practice!

What have been five good things that have happened to you this week? Let me know in the comments.

My blogging routine

I thought this might make a bit of an interesting post, at least I hope so! I've been blogging for about six years and I've now got into a real routine so thought I'd share it with you so you can get a bit of behind the scenes info.

I'm not a full time blogger as I work during the week 9am - 5pm as a PR Consultant. This means the only time I really get to blog is at the weekends. I tell myself every week that I'm going to make full use of Saturday and Sunday for blog photo taking and writing, but usually it ends up that I start taking photos around mid-morning on the Sunday.

Most of my photos are product photos and are taken on my bedroom windowsil with those handy wooden floor tile samples from B&Q, however I popped in there yesterday and picked up the marble effect sticky back plastic so now I'm a 'proper' blogger. I am keen to try and get away from flat lays on these backgrounds because it's become so overdone now but until I can think of an alternative, I'll carry on.

I use a Canon 500D for my photograph taking and I am forever learning. Vince bought me a set of lenses and a small ring light for Christmas so I'm currently trying out all the different lenses and using the light to my advantage in these dark and dreary days. It's working out ok but I always feel like there's room to improve! I do my photo editing in Gimp or Picmonkey and it usually consists of brightening them a bit!

I tend to take all my photographs before writing any blog posts. As I write this it's a Sunday evening. I'll usually aim to write my posts on the Sunday evening or even write them once I get home from work of an evening. I'm currently going through a phase of scheduling posts on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I was previously scheduling one week on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday then the following week on a Tuesday and a Thursday but am happy with my current set up. I was finding scheduling posts every day far too much work to cram into one or two days and I was finding that comment numbers were down because before people had a chance to find a post, a new one was popping up.

I was previously scheduling posts for 5.30pm when people would be home from work and be logging on but have recently changed this to 8.30am so people can read my post before work, hopefully. I use Tweetdeck to schedule blog promotion tweets and these are scheduled for 8.30am, 12.30pm, 5.30pm, 20.30pm and 23.30pm. I'm not sure whether I should change this up a bit more but I guess these are key times of the day for most people.

During the week I like to reply to comments on posts, return comments and get involved with Twitter chats. I'm hoping once the lighter evenings start then I can get some more photograph taking crammed into the week. I feel like this would really help a lot and leave my weekends a bit free-er for general lazing around.

I am pretty happy with my routine but as I've mentioned I would possibly like to change it up a bit. Change is always good and I'd like to get a fancy new layout for the New Year so watch this space! I'm also aiming to have one non-beauty post per week and I currently have a long list of ideas jotted down in my notebook. I think it's going well so far...

What's your blogging routine? Do you enjoy it or is it time to switch it up? Do you have any tips to share? Let me know in the comments.

Things I want to make more time for

This post has been in my drafts for quite a while now. It's been one of those ones I've been thinking about on and off and trying to decide whether to go ahead with or not. On this cold Sunday afternoon while I write this, I've decided to go ahead in a bid to give myself some motivation.

I work full time 9am - 5.30pm Monday to Friday and I know other people work a lot more hours than this or have families to look after so I'm not complaining, what I am annoyed at myself about though is how I use the time when I'm not at work. I don't feel as if I make good use of it at all. I get home from work around 6.30pm/6.45pm and sit. Sit all night long infront of the TV.

I have weekends off and I enjoy a lie-in on a Saturday morning but that leads to a lazy mid-morning and by almost lunch time I'm still sat on the sofa with yet another cup of tea. Most of the day is already gone. The same happens on a Sunday and it's half way through the day before I start any housework or take any blog photos so I feel like things need to change, which led me to putting this list together to note down the different things I want to make more time for, whether that's in the evenings or at weekends.

Reading
Up until the end of Uni I used to read all the time. I loved it. I still have stacks and stacks of books but they stay unread so I'd definintely like to make more time for reading, even if it's just a chapter a night before bed or a couple of chapters on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Reading not only opens your imagination a bit more but it helps with your writing and creativity so I'd definitely like to get back into it again, now I just need to choose a book to read.

Listening to music
I feel like the only time I ever listen to music any more is on the drive to and from work. When I was a teenager I'd pop a CD into my CD player and just sit and listen. It was great and I'd definitely like to make more time for doing this. It's not necessarily about discovering new artists, although that is something I'd also like to do, it's more about re-listening to some of my favourite albums and rediscovering what I love about them and hearing little bits that you've never noticed before.

Watching films
This is actually something my boyfriend would like me to make time for. He is really into films and he always suggests watching one during an evening but I have that 'can't be bothered' feeling, where I don't want to watch something where I have to concentrate too much. Admiteddly if I do agree to watch a film, I usually do end up enjoying it and wonder why I was hesitant in the first place. Last Friday evening Vince suggested watching a film that was only 1 hour and 30 minutes long and it was only around 6.30pm when we started watching it so I felt like I had lots of the evening left once it was over and most importantly, it was a good film so I'm really glad we watched it. I need to say yes to watching more films!

Blogging
This probably sounds like an odd one but I actually often leave blogging until Sundays, which just isn't enough time to photograph and write posts for the coming week. I need to start utilising my time a bit better. I think this will become easier once the lighter evenings arrive and I can actually take photos once I get home from work, therefore spreading out the work load a bit and not having to leave it until the weekend. I would like to spend more evenings writing posts or doing general blogging admin such as replying to emails, comments and promoting posts/getting involved in Twitter chats etc. I think doing this might help me fall in love with my blog a little bit more too.

Exploring my town
Vince and I always enjoy a walk along the seafront or into the woods but I'm sure there are lots of places we have yet to discover in our own home town. I'd love to take my camera along as well as I'm sure there will be lots of inspiration for photos and blog posts along the way. This is an absolute must for me, just to get out of the house and get a little fresh air and it's something we can do on the weekend or in the evening.

What things would you like to make more time for? Let me know in the comments.

General goals for 2016

I don't think I made any personal goals/NY resolutions for 2015 so I thought I'd make a few for 2016. I didn't want to make the type of resolutions that I definitely wouldn't be able to stick to, such as stop eating junk food and that sort of thing, so I've tried to come up with some that I would be more likely to stick to. Just to give myself a bit of a chance!

Have more family/friends round for dinner/an evening
This is definitely something I want to do more of this year. We recently moved house and we have had two friends and Vince's family round and it's always really nice so it's something I definitely want to do more of, not that I usually do the cooking though, oops!

Keep up with my crochet
In 2015 my mum and I took up crochet and amazingly, we've stuck to it. I really didn't think we would. I thought we'd get fed up after a few weeks. Admittedly it has taken a bit of a back seat over Christmas but with our classes starting back up again this week, I want to get right back into it and finally finish a few projects.

Find a new exercise class/join a gym
2015 was also the year I took up exercise on a more regular basis, which is really weird for me! It started around February time when I took up spinning and did Yoga at home. I then went to Aerobics regularly with my sister. We did get a bit bored of the class so I've been looking for something new to take up for a while now. It's tricky to find something that's on late enough for me to go to after work so I am still searching. I will either take up a new class or sign up to one of the local gyms.

Possibly go on a short break away
This is a really tricky one due to Vince's job. He is a chef so works mornings and evenings and it's very hard for him to plan when he can take time off, which therefore means it's very tricky to plan any sort of getaway, especially as at my work I have to give at least a month's notice for time off. You can see our predicament... we did somehow manage to book a week off together in July of 2015 but we ended up having to move house so it wasn't very relaxing. I'd like to go away on a long weekend trip to Europe or even somewhere else in the UK, it would just be nice to get away and be in a different environment for a few days!

What are your goals and resolutions for 2016?