Thursdays Choice: Glasses

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Glasses are not just fashion to me they are my life, without them I could not read, go on the computer or drive. My eyesight has slowly gotten worse from the age of 13. 13 was when I first needed some correction to my sight. Since then every two years I have needed to change the prescription, and now I cant read anything unless it really really big or right in front of me.

Glasses now are a hip accessory, long gone are the days of wearing basic frames. there are now a multitude of choices. Ones to suit your face shape, ones that compliment your colouring, ones that look old but arn't. With glasses being such a basic need for me, its hard to choose the frames you want, with 'designer' starting from £120 its also an expenditure that is hard to find. Ive had the cheaper ones and I can tell you that they don't last that long. they feel flimsy and are not as comfortable as the more expensive ones.

My sight is getting worse and I know that I will need a new prescription in the next few months, So I have taken this chance to have a look at my 'top' choice of frames. If like me you need glasses but are skint have a few financial undertakings that are more important, then scout first. Look to see the best deals or if there are any eye exams that are free. Sometimes you can get free exams and there is a £15 bill saved straight away.

Lists - What I am Grateful for

My amazing network of friends
My job and all the people I work with
My flat, the space that is my own
My Husband, who is better than he thinks
My family
That everyday the sun comes up
The colour puple
My childhood, as I was allowed to be a child
To be an auntie to all the amazing children in my life, but to be able to give them back at the end of the day
Freshly cut grass, Freshly washed Laundry, and lots of other smells
That most people I know are in good health and those who arn't make up for it with great humour
My car, my freedom to go where I want and when
My skin, which is not as bad as I like to make out
Electricity, for without it I would get bored
Books, for they are a staple in my life
The way my life has turned out, as it could have been far far worse!

White Glow Toothpaste Review

White Glow Whitening Toothpaste RRP £3.99 for 100ml here

I'm not going to post pictures of my teeth as I have horrid shaped ones, what I am going to do is to tell you that for me this did work, but only by a shade. However, my teeth arn't really stained or damaged too much so its not going to work as well for me as it may for someone who drinks coffee by the bucket, or drinks coke all day long. I was happy with the shade improvement and as it was a free gift from SheSaidBeauty at the CDFmeet, I am not going to moan. I may repurchase it now and again to keep my teeth a little brighter, but its not something that I need in my everyday kit.

Thursdays Choice: John Lewis

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The fabulous world of John Lewis where price is no matter and beauty and elegance is expected, Today I decided to take a look at the home section of John Lewis and imagine that I has all the money and could buy whatever took my fancy. Window shopping is always a good past time and it can give you some great ideas when you do get a few extra pounds to spruce up your life. John Lewis is not over the top in the price category but it is a little to rich for my taste thought I do love to browse all the pretty things. Regardless of personal choice in money matters I can appreciate the overall charm that seems to surround all John Lewis items.

When you walk into the store it really is another world, a world filled with perfect things that can make you feel like a whole new you. Examining the items and imagining making a home from all the trinkets and bits and you imagine a world that is superior and glossy, filled with smart new decorative accessories that turn you into someone you aren't. Alas, then reality sets in as you see the price.

We can all dream and treat ourselves to something exceptional now and then, so go and have a look at the site here or visit a store an be taken away.             

90s kick

So lately I seem to have been trying to relive the 90s, my childhood/early teen years. I have been watching re-runs of Friends, Saved by the Bell, the fresh Prince of Bel Air (while singing all the lyrics, of course!)  Funhouse and a bit of crystal maze thrown in. I have been listening to a few thing by BSB, Britney and the infamous Shakespeare Sisters (didn't the one just creep you out?). I have also been watching films like: Shes all that, I know what you did last summer, Jurassic Park and Titanic.

The 90s was when I longed to get a blue peter badge, when starbursts were call opal fruit. When the Macarena was a national pastime, when penny sweets were actually only a penny. I loved Round the Twist and can still sing the lyrics (just like the Fresh Prince), When Saturday mornings where filled with live & kicking or SMTV:live. Watching Rugrats and figuring the tune out on a piano. Playing Pogs in the school Yard and keeping a tamagotchi alive. Multi-Packs of crisps had collectibles in them. The Spice Girls were everywhere and playing conkers was the height of entertainment. Clueless, Noels house party, Sister Sister, Push Pops, B*Witched, Rachel's Hair, Daria, yoyo's, Dawson's Creek, tracksuit poppers, furbies, slammers, Ant&Dec/Billie Piper (when they were pop stars), Smash Hits, Top of the Pops and so many more that I could go on for hours. This was my childhood.
                                                                                                                                                

Summer Vow

I actually own 80% of these items and have worn some of them out. The polka top with the swallow skirt its a great little number for meeting up with friends to shopping, to even meeting up for a few drinks. I wish that my fashion choices always went together as well as this one has. I'm sometimes stuck in the days of my teenage years where I just wear jeans teamed with whatever I can find. Not exactly grown up or fashion savvy, but always comfortable, However I have made a vow that I will wear more dresses and skirts this year and have bought some accordingly.

I own all the dresses and will be wearing them over the summer (when the weather actually starts to get warmer) and I will start or at least try to do some outfit of the day posts. 

Due to a stinking cold I haven't really gotten up to much over the last week as I haven't felt well enough, I need to see Gatsby but will not have the time this week as I am working overtime and I am in desperate need to do some shopping. Here's to less drab posts in the next few weeks.

Thursdays Choice: Etsy

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Today for my wishlist choice I decided to take a browse on Etsy, It really is a magical site and I could spend hours looking at the beautiful homemade items to the amazing items that I never knew I had to have until I looked upon them on this site. I really wish I had found this site before I got married as my wedding would have been much more pretty for the same price. It really is a beautiful site to browse and the layout is really easy to figure out. If you have never visited it before, I suggest you get on over there now.

What I liked this week: from cube fridge magnets that I never knew existed to bookends that I just have to have. I think they would look greet in my house as they are quirky and different and I cant wait to own them, I may have to start showing people what I want for Christmas LOL. I also found a glass tealight holder that is a little pricey for me but is really adorable and regardless of price I would like to own it.

The harry potter nerd in me fell in love with the ring, though there were many many other choices, some not so geeky, this was the one for me. I also fell for the beautiful gold tree bracelet that you could have personalized with initials as I just thought is was delicate and very pretty. The gold lace headband is just very pretty and reminds me of 20s styles whereas the Vintage 80s boots just makes me want to pull out the hairspray and go big or go home.

Finally the last thing is the scrabble pendant, there are literally hundreds of choices for these, ranging from inspirational quotes to pictures to generally funny things, I just chose this one as I really speaks to my life and to most people who know me, but there are so many beautiful and fantastic choices out there that I couldn't leave this post without making sure that you know about them.

 

cube magnets for fridge £12.18      Harry Potter  ring  £16.84

  Gold tree bracelet £19.20              Scrabble tile pendant £3.33

          gold lace headband £14.82            Vintage 80s lace up boots £16.17

   tentacle bookends£43.78               glass tealight holder £17.52

Thirfty Tips - Shopping

Times are getting harder and harder and though 90%of the money you can save is easy and common sense we are still shopping like we have spare pounds. I for one don't anymore. Regardless of how obvious some of these tips may be I wanted to take the time to give you some ideas to save a few of you own pennies.

Shop around, check moneysupermarket to see if there are any better offers on in other stores. but don't travel the earth, you may end up loosing what you could save in petrol, time or footwear! Aldi/Lidl's can have some great products and a lot cheaper than most large stores, If you have one near you, have a look, you may find it could be your best friend. Poundland/B&M bargains, all the cheap shops are worth looking in you can save yourself a small fortune, especially on household products.

When shopping in supermarkets, always pick up a few of their own leaflets/magazines, there are always coupons and offers inside, and are normally valid for quite a while, Or check out the online site, they sometimes have printable vouchers. Also have a look at the following websites you may find offers on items that you buy, supersavvyme has vouchers, offers and general info about products. saavoo has lots of voucher and offers to be taken advantage off.

Buy in bulk especially when on offer, if your toilet paper is normally £3 but its on offer at 2 for £5 or 3 for £7, buy it. it may seem a lot in one go but that's extra money come the end of the month and its something that you will always use. When buying fresh try going to a market, you can get at least double if not triple the amount for what you would pay and morrisons or Asda and what you don't use can be frozen for future meals.

If you buy something but haven't fancied it, freeze it before its use by date, simple and instead of throwing away money your just saving it for when you want it later. Frozen veg is just as good as fresh and can have some great offers on it. Same goes with meat and most chilled items, try and buy them on the last day they are being sold or in the evening (5-7ish) when they have been reduced and when you get home freeze it, you have just paid half the price you would have if you have bought it only one day earlier.

I'd say always sign up for the cards such as nectar or clubcard, even if you only spend £50 a month in the stores it means you are getting more money back and they send you more money off vouchers with your statements. Also clubcard keep doing double up, so you can turn £5 of vouchers into £10, yes its only on selected items,but it could mean you get that pair of shoes you wanted for next to nothing. This is especially handy around Christmas as you can save on pretty much everything and you haven't even dipped into your account.

When shopping for clothes look at sales or if you find something you want wait two months as it will more than likely be reduced. I'll say it once and I'll say it again, Charity Shops, they can be hit and miss, but they are fun and cheap and you could get a whole outfit for less than £20, and so many items have the original tags still attached. Ebay is also a good thing, I have found plenty of things that are cheaper than in store and even when you include shipping its still cheaper (and if you have a nectar card you can collect points by shopping on Ebay).

I have spent most my life thinking, oh its only a pound or two different it wont matter, but it does, that few pounds could mean the difference between electricity one month. and if you save £10 a week by freezing/using vouchers, it will make a huge difference at the end of the month. Thats a night out or a meal that you didn't have to skrimp to find, or if its a particularly bad month, that's another weeks shopping!

As I said these are mostly common sense, but I hope that they help you if you are trying to save a few pence.
If you have any money saving ideas, please let me know.

My Week

A bit absentee from blogging in the last week, This is due to lots of work and a really bad cold that I can't seem to shake. I haven't really been up to much, I saw the midnight showing of Star Trek Into Darkness, which I loved, not as good as the first film but still excellent.

I went to curry club with a few of the girls and had a lovely chocolate cake desert. My husband made banana bread to go with sunday dinner, which I had never had before. Yes, that was a travesty, and it has now been rectified.

Really other than that I spent since Saturday being ill and feeling generally rough, having a severe lack of energy or any get up and go.

Thursdays Choice; Accessorize

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As My Choice this week I wanted to give my wish list for some accessories, at the end of the day it can be the accessories that make or break a outfit. I tend to stick to the smaller items of jewelry, this is due to the fast that I have small features and anything too big just does not look right on me. Having said that, I do like a few larger pieces, such as the bloom collar and the encrusted butterfly collar.

Then moving onto the more delicate items such as the bird of paradise collar and the carved rose cluster pendant which would match the tokyo bracelet and the flower alice band if you wanted to match. The earrings are simple but cute, and the bags would be great for everyday or fancy days. The one thing from the choice this week that I will have to pick up (regardless of any financial squeeze) is the metal daisy band, as it's almost like the flower bands and crowns of glory, but its dainty and cute and I think would look great on me.

All my choices are under £19 with the exception of the black and white bag which is £35. What are your accessory choices that you would like to pick up.

Where I Went

My Bank Holiday has consisted of wearing some summer clothes, going to see my husbands parents, and spending a few hours catching up.

We also went to the cinema to watch Oblivion, which was not bad, but not really worth the hype that has surrounded it. We also took a short walk at a local spot by the sea called the sea wall, it was lovely weather, the sun was out and the water was lapping gently over the rocks, we had a very peaceful half hour sitting and enjoying the fresh air and natural sounds. As we were walking back to the car we saw a rhino statue that was painted in bright colours, I have dubbed it SuperRhino.

Benefit They're Real Mascara Review

Benefit They're Real Mascara in Black RRP £19.50

Months of hype, uncountable reviews and some rather daring claims, I finally got my hands on this mascara, thanks to benefit who kindly put one in my goody bag at the CDFmeet. Needless to say with claims like 94% of people saw length and volume, 90%  saw base to tip curl, 90% visible lift and 100% long lasting wear, it's something you want to try for yourself. I love the look of the product, it's slightly old fashioned as with all benefits products, but it is so in the right way, a good mix of modern and retro.

The wand has to be the thickest one Ive seen, its rubber and has some give but not too much. The formula is pretty wet, but I found that it dried very quickly. Using the wand was easy, and considering its size I didn't find it messy or get any on my skin. Getting to the point, I loved it, It added Volume and Lift and for me the most dramatic effect was how it actually brought out my lower lashes. I can't really comment on the length and curl as my eyelashes are naturally long and have curl. but the volume it gave me and the separation on the lashes was amazing. I was also naughty and didn't wash it off at night and the next day 95% of the product is still there, very little transfer.

When you consider it not waterproof, this thing stay on like crazy. After a night of dancing no smudge or running, even after sleeping in it the worst was a tiny bit of panda eye, but very little transfer on my pillow maybe one mark (and my pillow is white). I had quite an issue removing it, I had to use bioderma (also from the goody-bag) on a cotton pad and massaging into the eye, normal make up remover just made me scrub my eyes until they were raw and red.

As far as I am concerned this product is a hit. I will, without question repurchase this mascara, at £19.50 it is well worth the price and they are well within their bragging rights to continue to hype this product. It will

become a staple in my make up box.

Bank Holiday

2 Bank Holidays in one month, this one being May Day and one at the end on the 27th, It's a great month if your an office worker, some nice long weekends.

However for myself, it means extra hard days, more customers and less chance to sit down. However, I am off for Sunday and Monday, but next bank holiday I will only have the Sunday off as I have to work the Monday, Boo Hiss. I like Bank Holidays, relaxing with the husband, eating junk, finding things to do, not getting caught in traffic because the furthest we go is 2 miles from our house. Yes, I am one of those sad people that do as little as I can, and I love it.

As a child I normally spent Bank Holidays with one of my Nan's or playing at my local park. But to me they have always been lazy days filled with frolic and food. Growing up with a family who never traveled on busy days means that I've grown into an adult who doesn't either. So my plans so far are to tidy and clean a little on sunday, maybe go to the cinema, troll netflix and lovefilm for movies that we both fancy!

Whatever you are doing, I hope you have a great Bank Holiday! xx

Thursdays Choice: Skirts

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With the warmer weather slowly making an appearance, and enticed by the thought of tanned legs I thought I'd take a look at some skirts. I don't normally wear skirts as it's hard finding any that look good on me, but as per usual this does not stop me browsing and wanting.

All of my Choices are from New Look, and the most expensive is number 2 at £22.99 the rest are under £20 and 3 are under £15. I like to stick to a budget and though 90% of my own clothes are bought in sales or charity shops, I generally think anything brand new item around the £15 mark is a good price.I like a wide range of choices ranging from casual to more formal and even some fun choices. My particular favorites that I may have to stretch my already over used budget for would be the Navy Polka dot skirt and the black ditsy floral skirt, I have taken a shine to them.

What skirts do you want for summer?

Cardiff Blogger Meet

Due to a hectic weekend and a busy few days in work, I have been unable to blog about the wonderful Cardiff meet on Saturday until now.

The meet was organised by the amazing Laura, Georgina, Chantele, Leanne and Joanna, and they did an amazing job. we started our meet at the Brewhouse with a few drinks to loosen our lips and a huge goody bad filled with bits and pieces for which the girls really worked their selves into the ground to get. I had a classic Pizza, which was a really good size and very filling not to mention incredibly cheesy! We also had a lovely demonstration from Lush as well as a freshly made facemask to walk home with.

From the brewhouse we went to Crabtree and Evelyn for a hand treatments, the shop smells amazing with lots of great items to choose from. From there we went to the St Davids Fashion show, which showcased some of the clothing and accessories you could purchase from within St Davids Centre and was all put together by JP.

From the show we also had a chance to attend a Q&A with JP, and finally (with dwindling numbers) set of for a quick shop around Cardiff. It was a truly amazing day that I was thankful to be a part of, thanks to all the girls for their amazing work and to all the new bloggers I met.