Lately

Last month was a bit of a hectic/stressful month for me. A close family member of mine has been having some health issues, but thankfully they have been dealt with now. It left me with a little cloud of worry which had been following me around for the best part of month. It can be difficult trying to be positive and supportive to those closest to you when inside you are just as fearful as they are! I've had to be the stable, constant rock of reassurance which hasn't always been easy, but thankfully things have worked themselves out. I won't go into detail as it's quite personal. One thing I have definitely learnt from this experience is to never ignore things/symptoms. Even if it may seem trivial, embarrassing or not that big of a deal - it's always best to be safe. Fortunately things were dealt with swiftly otherwise it would have become a much bigger and scarier issue! 

After all of the worrying I really enjoyed some time away last weekend. I travelled back to my old home town, with the boyfriend, on Saturday up until Monday. It was so nice having time together, and being able to catch up with family and friends! On the Sunday we ventured out to an Italian restaurant. The food was delicious! We had bread, dips and olives to start and pizza for our mains. Yum.

I've had most of this week off work which has been lovely. So I've been trying to make the most of the time by getting into my studies and trying to get on top of things. As well as just having a bit of 'me' time. I finally managed to get around to getting my holiday pictures printed out... all 200 of them. There were so many pictures to choose from! I'm looking forward to sorting through them all and putting my favourites into frames. 

I have to say it's nice to be in a new month. Hopefully this one will be better than the last! 

p.s. I had to include this photo of Charlie - he looks so sweet and comfy! Not so sweet yesterday evening though, after he decided to use my cupboard as a toilet (TWICE!)

Remington - Silk Curling Wand

A couple of months ago now I received the Remington Silk Curling Wand as a gift from my brother, the little cutie. Now I must admit it did sit unopened in my cupboard, up until last Monday morning when I decided I'd take it out of the box and give it a go. I don't regularly curl my hair as it can be a bit of a chore due to its length and thickness, it can become quite time consuming. That being said it's probably my favourite way to have my hair. 

When I do go ahead and curl my hair I usually grab my Mark Hill - Pro Magic Wand, which is a thick conical shaped barrel. This particular Remington wand isn't the typical conical shape, but is an elliptical styling wand as it has an almost flatter surface. Initially this left me wondering what difference it may make on my hair. 

                                                                                                                                                                  

































It took about twenty minutes of sectioning and curling my hair to achieve the finished look - which was tight, pretty spiral curls. It was nice, but not the look I was going for. So after brushing through my hair a couple of times and spritzing a bit of hairspray, I was left with more relaxed and looser looking curls. 
    
This wand is easy to use, especially if you've used this kind of product before. The temperature ranges from 110 - 220°C. It doesn't take long at all to reach the highest temperature, about 30-40 seconds. The wand itself is quite lightweight and is priced at £34.99, which I think is pretty affordable. Alongside the wand you also have a handy bag to slip the wand into, a single black heat-protecting glove and a small instruction leaflet. I personally would have preferred the leaflet to perhaps have a bit more guidance on how to create various looks.

When curling my hair I found myself accidentally turning the heat up and down, as the positioning of the buttons are where your hand rests when styling your hair. It was slightly frustrating to begin with, but I've discovered you can easily lock the temperature by holding down one of the buttons, so that's handy. I'll just have to remember that for next time! I was really pleased with the finished look, the curls looked sleek, clean and natural! My hair didn't go dry or fizzy, it just looked and felt so natural. It may have helped that I'd washed my hair that morning and applied a small amount of hairspray after styling. 

{The sunshine was really pouring in, so quite a bright one!}

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       I loved the finished look and was also extremely impressed with how well my hair held the curls. My hair isn't the best for holding curls/waves for long periods of time as it's quite thick and long. I normally resort to applying an excessive amount of hairspray in a bid to keep the shape. Usually by the end of the day or evening my hair looks flatter and some of the curls have dropped out. I was genuinely surprised to wake up on Tuesday morning to see my hair still looking curly. It stayed that way throughout the day! Shockingly, not the messy type of next-day curls that looks a bit out of control and huge. Instead it resembled the finished look from the day before, still natural and pretty. I'm so impressed. This was a bit of a shocker for me as I sprayed a small amount of hairspray so I'm not sure whether it was the wand, the hairspray or my just-washed hair pre-styling?! No idea, but nonetheless I was pleasantly surprised and can confidently say this hasn't happened before. Fingers crossed it wasn't a one off.

I was really pleased with the finished look, the curls looked sleek and clean! My hair didn't go dry or frizzy. It just looked and felt so natural. It may have helped that I'd washed my hair that morning and applied little hairspray but I really loved the finish and just can't get over how well, and for how long my hair managed to keep the shape.

What do you guys think? I'd love to hear what tools you use to curl your hair.

Words To Live By

     

       

(Sources: Pinterest & Tumblr. Original Sources: Unknown)

I really love the Roald Dahl quote. I think sometimes, as hard as it can be, it's important to try and be positive and think good thoughts. I personally really struggle with that from time to time, well let's be honest... who doesn't?! But I do tend to be a bit of a worrier, and at times I let things bother/upset me way more than they should. Life's too short. I suppose it's about recognising what's worth it and what isn't.

I'd love to hear what your favourite quotes are? :)

Essie - Bahama Mama

Whilst browsing the aisles of Boots I caught a glimpse of an Essie duo that really caught my eye! The duo included Essie's Bahama Mama and Chinchilly and is titled 'favourites to fall for' - got that right! Both shades really complement one another and definitely have autumn written all over them. They were also both shades that I'd yet to try.

Bahama Mama is described as a "warm, rich, creamy plum'. It's a pretty accurate description to be honest. After two coats of this you achieve a dark but warm plum shade which I think looks gorgeous on. I will say that after two coats the shade appears slightly darker than how it appears in the bottle, but it's not a drastic difference and not one that I feel disappointed with. 

This isn't the first time that I've rambled on about an Essie polish so I'm not going to go in to detail about my opinion on the brand/quality etc. But overall I found this polish applied like a dream, due to the nice sized brush, and the completed look gave me a glossy, opaque shade that I can see myself re-applying throughout the rest of the year. I tend to get a couple of days wear from Essie before I start noticing chips. But this always depends on whether I've applied a top coat and what I've been doing.

I'm looking forward to trying out Chinchilly next as it's a polish I've heard lots about, and it looks so nice in the bottle! Boy do I love Essie, they have so many beautiful shades. What are your go-to autumn nail polish favourites?

This Week - What I've Been...

Loving...
The way Charlie climbed under the covers and snuggled up in bed with me yesterday morning
Chunky socks. My feet can get so cold, especially now it's starting to get a bit colder!
Hot bubble baths after a long day at work
The cheeky MAC purchases I made online last night 
Making a yummy apple and sultana crumble for the family, went down a treat :)
Silly, but hilarious, vines that populate my facebook newsfeed


Watching...
Breaking Bad - I've just started watching this, I didn't think it would be my type of thing but I'm hooked!
About Time - This was quite a sweet film :) It was also funny and a little bit sad
Family Guy


Listening To...
Sonnetanz (Sun Don't Shine) -Klangkarussel ft. Will Heard
Hopeless Wanderer - Mumford & Sons
Same Love - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, ft Mary Lambert. I have so much love and respect for Macklemore after this! Couldn't agree more with the meaning of this song. "We become so numb to what we're saying" "It's human rights for everybody, there is no difference! Live on and be yourself" Listen/Watch here.


Eating...
Homemade apple and sultana crumble
Vegetable soup
Chilli and rice, with a handful of salted tortilla crisps
Potato and leek soup
Cheese salad rolls
Indian takeaway
Poached eggs on toast

The Body Shop - Honey & Beeswax Hand and Foot Butter

I had a little browse through The Body Shop the other day and picked up a few bits, most of which were products that I haven't tried before. I do love trying new things. I've bought a few bits in the past from the Body Shop but it's not a shop I regularly pop in to. One of the products that I took home with me was the Spa Wisdom Africa - Honey & Beeswax Hand and Foot Butter. The key ingredients in this product include honey, beeswax, shea butter and Ximenia oil. This product really appealed to me in store for the following reasons; the scent, the cute little jar and how soft and moisturising it felt after trying a dab of it on my hands. 

This butter has a really subtle sweet scent to it which I absolutely adore. I'd describe it as a honey-vanilla type scent. Once applied it soaks in to the skin and leaves your skin feeling really soft. It's not too heavy once applied but is a lovely thick and creamy consistency. It absorbs quickly considering the consistency and doesn't leave that greasy residue feeling. I noticed that my hands and feet actually appeared softer too. My feet can get quite dry and I do tend to neglect them a little, although I do like to use Soap and Glory's -Heel Genius every now and then. I can be quite lazy when it comes to moisturising my body and/or feet so I have to enjoy using the product to be able to stick to it. The packaging is really sweet, I love the little jar. My only issue is with clicking the lid shut, at times it can be a bit fidgety. 

This hand and foot butter is priced at £10 but The Body Shop do tend to have 3 for 2 and discount offers on, so it's worth a look if you're interested. 

The Little Things

-Loved ones. Not such a little thing, but of late I've realised how lucky I am to have some pretty amazing people in my life. Things have been a bit tough recently as a family member of mine has been having some health issues. The last couple of weeks have been a bit of a standstill but thankfully everything is sorting itself out. During those couple of weeks it really meant a lot to know that I had the support there. 


-Falling asleep to the sound of rain. I find it quite relaxing and it makes me feel all cosy. Not so nice when your alarm is going off and you've got to get out of bed though!


-Little treats - my favourite has to be the cream jumper that I picked up from Warehouse.


-I randomly surprised my mum with some of her favourite flowers. They've been sat in the living room and they smell lovely. 


-Music sessions. Browsing itunes, downloading songs and updating my iphone playlist... I love it!


-Homemade vegetable soup


-Days off. I often work twelve hour shifts and recently I've been doing lots of overtime, so days off have been extra special and much needed!


-My boyfriend has got a new job! He's been having a few setbacks recently and has been exploring lots of different routes within the area that he'd like to go in to but unfortunately it can be so competitive. The job is within the public services sector, which is an area he's been aiming for so I'm really pleased for him. He's excited and I'm so proud :)


-Being healthier. I've been trying to take the time to workout when I can and I feel so much better for it. It's really rewarding to notice improvements in my strength and endurance.


-I realise this slightly contradicts the above, but strawberries dipped in nutella - SO good

Botanics - Rosewater Toning Spritz

 This Botanics toner is a product that I'd picked up and forgotten about - mainly as I haven't quite got around to finishing my current toner. However, after running out of cotton pads to apply my usual toner with I remembered I had this toner spray in my little beauty stash! I've now been using this for the last three to four weeks and I've found it really refreshing and handy. 

You use this toner by spritzing the product over your face, you're supposed to wipe away with cotton wool afterwards but due to having a lack of this I've been skipping that step! After the hot evenings we've had during July I have found this a really welcome addition to my skin care routine. The cool toning spray is so lovely, cool and refreshing especially if you're feeling a bit hot and bothered. I have been applying this to my face - when clean and dry and after cleansing. Once I've spritzed this on, after letting the product soak in or patting my face with a towel, I apply my moisturiser or night cream. 

The consistency of this product is of course like water, one spray offers a nice distrubution of the rosewater toner. After it has soaked in to my skin- which doesn't take long at all, my skin feels slightly softer and is left with a faint rose scent. I don't particularly mind the scent, but I'm glad it doesn't really linger on the skin.

I like that there are minimal ingredients in this product, and that these ingredients are supposedly 100% organic. I also like that this toner doesn't irritate my skin and that it gives me a nice refreshing alternative to my usual dab and sweep toner. 

Lip Balm Favourites

I am a bit of a lip balm junkie - for me it's an essential, so I always have one with me. I've tried lots of different lip balms in the past and I tend to switch it up quite a bit but I do have my favourites. 

Nuxe Reve de Miel - Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm

This is one of those products you hear so much about and I'm sure many people will be familiar with this brand and product. I put off purchasing this due to the price, being just under £10, it isn't the cheapest. Although I have to say I really enjoy using this product. This product has a sweet honey scent to it which smells lovely! This balm is a very thick consistency so a little bit goes a long way. It's very nourishing and feels almost like a face mask for the lips as it stays put and seems to almost melt in to the lips slowly. Due to the texture I use this in the evening before bed as it's quite matte, it doesn't offer gloss or colour to the lips as it's more of a nourishing treatment. 

Blistex - Intensive Moisturiser

This is another product that I'd refer to as like a bit of a treatment. It's one that I always like to have about and only tend to ever pick up and use when I feel that my lips need a bit of help. When my lips are looking really dry and chapped a lot of lip products don't seem to actually help. When my lips are sore this is the one. I recommended it to my brother and he loves it!  I only use this product on the odd occasion that my lips need it. Intensive Moisturiser has a menthol scent to it and at times there is a slight gentle tingling sensation on the lips when applied but I don't find it irritating. This product resembles a cream but is quite a thin consistency.

Blistex - Med Plus

This is a clear coloured balm which feels really moisturising on the lips. It adds a slight sheen to the lips and like the Intensive Moisturiser, it feels soothing and has a slight tingle to it when applied to the lips. It also has a menthol type scent, but it somehow seems slightly sweeter in scent compared to the Intensive Moisturiser. This is a must have in the colder months as it really feels like it's working in to the lips and it stays put longer than most lip products- it also feels very soothing and protective.

Soft Lips - French Vanilla

Although this product may not be as effective as the three lip balms above, it is a favourite as I love how it looks on, and the feel of this balm on my lips. This adds a subtle shine to the lips and feels so soft and lovely on. I love the sweet vanilla scent to this as well as the light packaging. 

Palmers - Dark Chocolate & Peppermint Lip Butter

This lip balm is an old favourite of mine! I've been repurchasing this for years now and couldn't be without it. My friend introduced me to this back in sixth form and I fell in love with it. It's no surprise really as it ticks most of the boxes; smells absolutely delicious, feels lovely on the lips and gives the lips a lovely shine. My only gripe is that it doesn't feel as moisturising or hydrating as some of the others- at times it feels as if it just sits there as it's slightly glossy in consistency. But for me I love this balm mainly for the gorgeous scent and how it looks on the lips. 

I do tend to mix it up quite a bit, especially as I tend to pick up new lip balms on a regular basis, but this little handful have consistently been on my favourites list. There are a couple of others that I use on a regular basis and love such as, Burts Bee's Beeswax Balm and Vaselines Rosy Lips.

Do you have any lip balm saviours or favourites?

Revlon - Girly

This particular nail polish has been sat in my stash for a couple of months now, to the point that I actually forget I even had it. But I reached for it this morning when deciding what to put on my nails! I'm drawn to a bit of sparkle and glitter and this polish is no exception. It's a light lilac, slightly pink nail polish which has small pieces of glitter and slightly bigger hexagonal pieces of glitter, suspended within the polish. The colours of the glitter really work well with the polish shade - there's bits of purple, pink, lilac and blue glitter in there.

I applied one coat of a clear gloss to my nails before applying a single coat of Girly. I would say that the nail polish colour itself was quite sheer which was slightly dissapointing, although I think with more coats the lilac/pink shade should be a bit more prominent. I think it may also work better with a purple or pink nail varnish base. I was really impressed with the glitter pay off with just one coat. This nail polish is packed with it but at just the right amount. In some cases I had to place it a little, but I found that just brushing over the nail a couple more times evened out the glitter, and gave me the finish I was after. I found I managed to get quite an equal amount of glitter with each of my nails, without much effort at all. A couple more coats would easily pack the nails full of glitter.

I found the finish looked really glossy, although the base coat I applied definitely helped. I think its a gorgeous polish and looks really sweet and girly once on the nails. I really do love the mix of colours on the glitter pieces and how they compliment one another! 

So what do you think? Have you tried Revlon's - Girly yet?

Yankee Candle Haul

I very briefly mentioned in my previous post that I stumbled across some little Yankee Candle bargains. I'm a big fan of candles in general, aswell as a Yankee Candle lover. I normally just stick to buying the wax tarts as I think they're affordable and it's easy to switch it up and try different scents without committing to a jar. But after spotting a few of my favourite scents, at a reduced price, I used the opportunity to pick up a few bigger sized candles!

The three little jars pictured above, Vanilla Satin, Beach Flowers and Black Coconut, are three scents that I love and have previously purchased as wax tarts. They were an obvious choice when I spotted the offer. Vanilla Satin has a light vanilla (surprise, surprise) scent to it which isn't too strong or sickly in comparison to some of the other vanilla scents. Beach Flowers has a fresh, floral and almost clean scent. Finally, Black Coconut has a light coconut/vanilla scent to it - it smells sweet and tropical.

In terms of price Black Coconut was it's usual price for the small sized jar, being around the £8 mark, but the other two were just over £5 each, as well as being 3 for 2! So for all three jars I paid just under £15. I'm pretty pleased with that! There were loads of different jars to choose from, and I was glad that this also included some of the newer scents.

The Triple Berry Tumbler is normally priced at £12, but was reduced to just over £8. I can't describe how delicious this candle smells. It's a really fruity sweet scent. This particular candle is part of a limited edition range, I really like the colourful summer look to the packaging. I also grabbed a couple of the Lake Sunset wax tarts. These weren't on offer but I quite like the scent - which I'd describe as being light and sweet with a hint of vanilla. I haven't spotted this particular scent elsewhere so I grabbed a couple.

I found this lot from at an outlet centre which had a nice big range of Yankee Candles. Although, I have been looking online and found quite a few places which are doing little sales and have reduced some of their prices. Here are a couple of the links for anyone that may be interested; yankee centre, yankee.co.uk, yankee direct.

What are your favourite Yankee Candle scents? 

The Little Things

{This picture was taken yesterday, in Devon. It was quite a long drive away but nice to visit somewhere different}

-Sunshine. I can't believe how lovely the weather has been, and that we've actually been having a proper summer. It's been pretty consistent over the last couple of weeks so I've loved sitting out in the garden in the late evenings, having the odd BBQ and swapping jeans and cardigans for dresses and sun tan lotion.


-Cold showers. After a few long and hot days at work it's been nice to come home and have a cold shower! So refreshing after feeling all hot and bothered.


-Vimto ice lollies.


-Sitting out in the garden with a cold drink and a good book.


-Trips to the beach. They're not that close to home - so although it can be a bit of a drive away it's always nice to be by the sea.


-Buying a handful of new Yankee Candles. I got a little bit excited when I saw that a load of the little jars were reduced, as well as 3 for 2!


-Minimising my stash of beauty bits. It feels good decluttering and I don't like having too much of the same kind of stuff, especially when it feels like I don't get around to using a majority of it. It should teach me really for being so easily tempted when I'm out shopping! I gave a few bits to a couple of friends who seemed genuinely pleased...definitely makes it worth it.


-Watching Buffy. I used to watch the odd episode years ago, so when deciding what TV programme to get in to next, I settled with this one. I'm so glad I did as I'm really enjoying it. I'm currently on the fifth series, I think there's another two left! It's nice being able to watch it from start to finish.


-Receiving the sweetest text from my best mate. Unexpected things like this make me smile :)


-Getting the boyfriend in to F.R.I.E.N.D.S. I have the boxset and was horrified to discover that he's only ever watched a handful of episodes. We've been watching a couple of episodes each night now and I can tell he loves it!


-Talking of the boyfriend - he got me this beautiful little heart ring from Pandora which I was planning on treating myself to. I absolutely adore it, he's so thoughtful.

What's been making you lovely lot smile recently?

Book Ramble/Review - 'A Game of Thrones (1)'

A friend of mine has read most of the books written by George RR Martin from the A Game of Thrones (AGOT) series and would often mention it to me. It didn't take long for me to download the first book, A Song of Ice and Fire, on to my kindle and start making my way through it. It took me a couple of weeks to finish, which I eventually did yesterday. I know a few people follow the TV programme based on these books, but I personally haven't got around to watching it myself. 

This book is quite different from other books that I've previously read, and to begin with I was unsure whether it would be able to hold my interest. Although when I started reading, I was quickly drawn in to the characters and the stories within this book and found myself pleasantly surprised. 

This book, along with the others from the AGOT series, is described as an epic fantasy novel. Here's a description of the book, which I've taken from amazon; 

"Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones"

As you can probably see from the above this book has many different themes within it. There's quite a bit of violence, and it can be pretty heavy going, but despite it being something I'd not normally pick up I really did enjoy it. I think it's extremely well written which definitely helped me to get stuck in and want to continue reading. I did find that I had to be in the mood to read this book and make sure I was giving it my undivided attention as there are a variety of different characters within the story, so it's easy to get a bit confused and wonder who's who! At the end of the book theres a handy bit which lists all the characters within the houses which is helpful.

I like that each chapter or so is from one of the various character's view point as it allows you to explore the story fully. Also as there's a lot going on, it becomes more manageable and ties together nicely. I think I'll go for a couple of lighter reads before I tackle the second book. 

I'd love to hear what you think if you've read or are reading any of the AGOT books :)  

New - This & That

I spotted this sweet little pyjama set in Accessorize a few days ago. At 50% off, and with all the hot evenings we've had recently, I just couldn't resist! I love the ditsy floral print and the light material.

Also in Accessorize was this cute little elephant key ring. It was sat by the till with a few other little floral printed animal key rings. Of course this one stole my heart as I love elephants!  

I've been on the lookout for a relatively large but affordable bag for work. I'm hoping this fabric Dorothy Perkins one will do the job. I normally have to cram a few bits in to my bag for work and as I work long shifts I bring lots of bits and bobs to get me through the day. Unfortunately this means I end up bringing one of my favourite bags (which is slowly getting ruined!) and lots of other little ones. This bag was under £10, is roomy and has a beach bag vibe to it. I'm not too sure about the print though.

I loved the look of these cushions in Next, and after placing them together I was sold. I really like the combination of the bigger taupe coloured cushion and the smaller dark purple one. They'll probably end up on the cream chair that sits by my desk, as it adds a nice splash of colour. 

After returning from Italy last month I've been on the lookout for a few new frames for some of my favourite pictures from holiday. Its strange how I feel like no other picture looks quite right in some of the frame that I already own, other than the picture thats already in there. Maybe it's because I'm so used to seeing the same picture in each frame that a change just doesn't seem to fit. Is that just me? 

The three photo mirrored frame can be stood or hung up both vertically and horizontally. I particularly love the silver one. I love Laura Ashley but they're definitely not the most affordable, fortunately these were both on sale otherwise I wouldn't have grabbed them. I'm looking forward to sorting through all of the photos and picking out which ones to put up :)

The weekend is almost here! I hope you all have a good one. 

Words To Live By

{Source: Pinterest}

{Source: Pinterest}

{Source: welionheart}

{Source: Pinterest}

-"If someone wants you in their life, they'll make room for you. You shouldn't have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continously overlooks your worth" 

-Author Unknown

-"Either they like you or they don't. Never try to convince somebody of your worth. If a person doesn't appreciate you, they don't deserve you. Respect yourself and be with people who truly value you" -Brigitte Nicole

-"Whoever is trying to bring you down, is already below you" -Author Unknown

-"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken" -Oscar Wilde

It seems as if a bit of a self-worth theme has emerged! I normally repin, save pictures or scribble down quotes as I go along and then after a while I'll pop it on to one of these posts. I suppose some of these quotes are a bit of a reflection of how I've been feeling recently, and have helped me by reaffirming the fact that I don't need certain people in my life and to let go of those that don't value me. At times thats definitely easier said than done but stumbling across quotes like these help give me that "Yeah!" attitude, and strangely enough it helps.

In A Nutshell

So the last month or so has been pretty hectic for me - a good hectic though. I've really missed taking the time out to mooch around the blogging world so I'm happy I've taken some time out this afternoon to write a little post. I thought I'd do a little update type post today. I can be a bit nosey and lifestyle posts like these are definitely my favourite to read and to write :)

At the start of June I went away with some of my family for a couple of weeks in Italy. I had an amazing time and enjoyed every minute of it. We travelled around and visited some beautiful places, it was a lovely adventure and I have lots of great memories from my time away. Once I'm feeling a bit more organised, and have sorted through the hundreds of photos, I'll be doing a post on my time away and sharing some of the pictures with you all. 

I've been back home just over two weeks now and aside from getting back to work, I've been trying to sort out various bits and bobs that I've been meaning to do for a couple of months now. Funny how time away can refresh your batteries and give you that bit of motivation! But in a nutshell here are some of the things that I've been up to, apart from the above of course.

Watching: Mainly Buffy. Netflix has given me the excuse to get comfy with a hot drink, relax and watch old TV programmes that remind me of my childhood/teen years. This morning I did just that.

Listening: Rudimental and Icona Pop - I Love It.

Reading: A Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire. A friend that I work with has been in the process of reading the AGOT books. I've recently heard a lot of talk about the TV series aswell. I downloaded the first book on to my kindle at the start of the month and started reading it on the plane. I didn't think it would be my kind of thing but it really sucks you in. I've been enjoying reading this book!

Eating: Wraps, fruit and salads. In Italy I consumed a lot of pasta, pizza, paninis and ice cream. Makes me hungry just thinking about it..

Seeing: Family, and the boyfriend. I was off work last weekend so after being away on holiday it was lovely to have the weekend catching up with him. On the Saturday we visited a few little villages around the countryside nearby. It was nice - we strolled around, stopped and had a delicious pub lunch and just enjoyed each others company. 

Debating: On whether or not to start a particular course in September. It's something I know I need to do but it comes with lots of little decisions, planning... and of course saving. 

Well that roughly concludes the month of June for me! This coming weekend is full of long shifts at work for me, but whatever you're all doing I hope you all have a great weekend :)

The Little Things

Source: Pinterest

-Maisie (my not so little rabbit). She chases me around the garden, nibbles on my slippers and eats all the plants. I love watching her antics


-Little splurges 


-Having a good tidy up, de-clutter and re-organising of various bits and bobs in my bedroom. I don't know what it is but I always feel better once I've got the job done. Earlier this week I had a little spring clean of my wardrobe. It felt good chucking out stuff I haven't worn in ages!


-The boyfriend coming over and surprising me with Les Mis on DVD a couple of days ago. It was such a thoughtful little surprise as I didn't get the chance to watch it in the cinema. I'd absolutely love to go and watch it in the theatre! I haven't watched the DVD yet but hopefully I'll find a quiet evening at some point this week :)


-Spending the weekend away catching up with some family and friends. The whole weekend was lovely and chilled out


-Getting things ready for holiday at the end of this month. I can't begin to explain how much I'm looking forward to it!


-Home cooked meals. I work long shifts so when I'm at work I really miss eating a proper meal so I enjoy sitting down and having a nice meal. I've had a week off last week so was lucky enough to eat things such as home made vegetable lasagne


-The pretty pink blossom trees that almost seem as if they've suddenly appeared overnight 


-Netflix. I signed up for the months trial a couple of months ago now and I just can't bring myself to cancel it! I love having the chance to watch different TV shows and films that I'd forgotten about or wouldn't go out and buy on DVD. Plus it's been so useful at work when I've had long breaks

Lately

On  the bank holiday Monday me and the boyfriend made a last minute decision to make the most of our day off together go and visit a safari park! I worked all weekend but fortunately we both had the Monday off. The weather was absolutely beautiful so we picked up some snacks, packed some suncream and a camera and made our way to a safari park.

As it was a bank holiday it was super busy, the actual process of driving through the safari park was long! I'm talking hours. Most of the time it felt like sitting in a very long traffic queue. Normally this may have been irritating but the sun was shining and seeing all of the animals along the way made it worth it. In particular seeing the two beautiful elephants. I don't think I can explain how much I love elephants! Once we'd spent hours making our way around the safari part we parked up and had a little mooch around. This park also had amusement rides and other animals located within the park. We went on a couple of rides, which was highly amusing. My boyfriend isn't one for rides. He enjoyed them in the end but watching his reactions were hilarious. We ended the day by grabbing a bag of chips, sitting on a picnic bench and enjoying the sunshine before heading home. 

I loved our day out together, despite how busy it was. It was one of those fun, light hearted days. 

There was a nice week or so of rain-free days and sunshine. When me and the boyfriend had bit of free time together and weren't stuck in work we tried to make the most of it by getting out and about. This usually consisted of jumping in the car and finding nice places to have a mooch and a walk around. Below: the view by the docks and taking the dogs for a walk :)

                                                                                                                                                                    






I had last weekend off so me and the boyfriend spent a couple of days back home. Well back home for me anyway. I live a little way away from where I grew up so I often go back and visit some family and friends. This time around my boyfriend joined me. It was a lovely laid back weekend full of delicious home cooked meals, bowling, drinks and movies. You can't beat a catch up with loved ones especially when it's been a couple of months since your last visit. 

What have you all been up to lately?