Week Update & Announcements

Hello! 

Long time, no post. 

I've had a week of madness, preparing for an interview which I had on Thursday. Since then I have been feeling less than fresh, so decided to take some time out to recoup.

I really wanted to thank everyone who took part in my giveaway, anyone who favourited a tweet, retweeted or anything in between.

I am hosting a Halloween Party this evening so will be annoucing the winners tomorrow.

Toodles!

X

Manic Monday #86

 Time is doing that weird thing where it's disappearing too quickly that I can't seem to keep up with it. We even gained an hour but it didn't seem to stop the steam train effect.

The weekend disappeared in a blur of shopping, terrible customer service, feeling festive, having drinks for a friends birthday, cleaning furiously on Sunday, catching up with two lectures and taking my second assignment.

Aaaaaand, breathe.

You know when people say they need a holiday to get over their holiday? Well, I need a weekend to get over my weekend!

I had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed myself, but I wish time wouldn't go so quickly when you are enjoying yourself.

Do you think it's just because you are having a great time and aren't concered about time? And when you are having a rubbish time you are clock watching, willing the time to pass? 

Time has always been a funny concept to me, as a kid everything seemed long and days at school seemed to go on forever, I'm sure now a 9 - 3 day at work would be a breeze! 

Journeys seemed to take forever, to me know those places are around the corner or 20 minutes away. 

I remember as a kid on Sunday's we'd go to my Nan and Grandads for tea. We'd leave around 9 and on the way home, knowing school the next morning was imminent, I would lay down in the car so I couldn't see where we were going and would try to guess where in our journey we were. 

It always used to make that trip home seem so much longer as I was always wondering how close we were to home. 

Strange, isn't it? 

The things we do to put something off or how irrelevant time feels when you're not paying it any attention.

I hope you are all well and are having a whirlwind time at the moment.

Toodles.

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Giveaway Reminder!

 

 

I am still hosting my One Million Lovely Letters giveaway!

I've decided to extend for another week, so I will announce the winners on the 31st October.

If you would like to enter, just pop a comment on the competition post here and also make sure you are following me on Bloglovin'!

All of the information is over on my main post, so make sure you head over.

I'm excited to share Jodi's amazing story and message with the two lucky winners!

I hope you have an amazing weekend.

Toodles.

x

In-Tune

[Image Source: DesignSponge]
 
Being in touch and showing your emotions can be perceived as a bad thing, especially in a world that is still dominated by the male population and any sign of emotion is seen as a weakness and a way to break someone down.

I make no secret of the fact that I am an emotional being, an emotional flower as Ben kindly refers to me as. You'll know when I'm happy, when I'm sad or down and especially if I'm excited.

I don't think this trait means that I'm weak, I actually think this gives me an edge over those who see emotion as a weakness. I am defiant in my choices, always knowing deep down the decision has already been made. That something isn't right when it may be sugar coated in a delicious glaze of icing. And overall knowing the person that I am and not giving a damn if someone thinks badly of me for a trait that I may possess.

I like to be alone, but prefer being alone with Ben. I prefer spending time with my family than with friends. Huge crowds of people overwhelm me and make me feel nervous. I like keeping busy. I cry at everything; happy sad and all in between. Sunshine fulfills my day and I love small acts of kindness when it is least expected.

Do you think you are in-tune with your emotions? Do you think you're strong or weak for that? 

Toodles. 

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Favourite Autumn Eyeshadow

This shadow has been my go-to product since Autumn started, it just seems to be a great, everyday neutral that seems to make my eyes pop.

Mac's Woodwinked has a slight duo-chrome effect to it  of mainly golden brown tones but has notes of orange and a very slight hint of pink running through it.

For everyday I like to blend,blend,blend it out with a fluffy brush like Laura Mercier's Pony Tail brush to get a really warm toned orange hue running through my crease.



For weekend and evening looks I like to run through Propose in Prague a reddy brown matte shade from Sleeks Vintage Romance palette and intensify by adding Dark Horse or Whiskey both from Urban Decay along with loads of black eye liner in my waterline and tight line.

Woodwinked seems to catch the light with the gold running through it and is a real eye-catcher.

As is with Mac shadows, it applies very well, giving a really even finish and is so blendable! The texture reminds me of the original formula of the Urban Decay Naked shadows, it's soft, buttery and when applied doesn't really feel like there's anything there.
Love it.

What's your favourite shadow? Do you have a specific brand that is your favourite?

Toodles.

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Positive Mantras

[Image Source: Pinterest] 

 I wrote briefly about mantra's in one of my Monday posts recently, it was something that I was trying out for me as I wanted some self-improvement.

For the time that I said my daily affirmation I did feel that it altered my perspective on the point I was focusing on as I was acknowledging that trait and changing how I viewed myself acting upon it.

After a while I stopped saying a mantra but I still felt that I was still maintaining that improvement.

Recently, with one thing and the other, hormones playing a huge part, I hadn't felt very positive or happy; everything was irritating me and I had a particularly short fuse for all things work-related. 

Today I'd had enough of feeling that way, I reintroduced saying a mantra, different to the last, but still something I wanted to focus on. After saying it, out loud, to myself a few times I already felt a little more lifted.

I know mantra's can have a certain stigma to them and let's face it, if someone walks in on you as you're saying your mantra they will probably think you are barmy, but if you are feeling low or there is something about your personality that you would like to change, try coming up with a short, memorable mantra.

 Repeat it, out loud, to yourself as many times as you can or feel you want to in a day and see if it effects how you feel.

I hope you found this post helpful. Let me know if you use mantra's, do you feel they're useful for self-improvement?

My One Million Lovely Letters competition is still running, if you haven't entered yet make sure you leave me a comment on the post if you would like to win a copy!

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Toodles!

X

Manic Monday #85

Monday morning started off with me knocking over a box of eggs and had egg splatter all over our kitchen floor at 7.30 this morning!

Then my first experiences at work were spending around 30 minutes on a piece of work and closing Illustrator and not even saving it. Even when prompted. Just plain nope, I definitely do not want to save that document that I had worked on. 

Then I realised what I'd done. Clever, little one.  

My weekend was spent mainly with family, I love spending time with family on the weekend but this one was special as my niece turned 11 on Saturday. I mentioned before how quickly she seems to be growing up and I still can't fathom it! 
I remember the exact spot I was when I received the text saying that she'd finally been born, I remember who I was with and what I bought that day.

I'm taking her on a shopping spree next weekend, she's always been independent and likes to pick out her own style. She's already got a very distinct style and she just seems like one of those people who will be effortlessly chic and cool with minimal effort. 

I also took my first assignment on my Digital Marketing course and came out with a 90% result, which I was chuffed with. So far I've taken 3 classes and have learned so much about digital marketing that I wouldn't have personally thought about. 

 

I hope your weekend was enjoyed! Let me know what you got up to!

 

 My One Million Lovely Letters competition is still running, if you haven't entered yet make sure you leave me a comment on the post if you would like to win a copy!

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Toodles.

 

x

 

 

Dove Advanced Dry Oil Conditioner

I picked this conditioner up on a whim, I was running low and thought I'd try it out as it was new in the stores and on offer for a tasty £2.97 at Superdrug.

I can honestly say this is one of the best affordable conditioners I have ever used. And I have used a lot.

I first picked up the Dry Oil conditioner which is aimed at dull and dry hair - I don't particularly have either but since going a lot blonder I have noticed the shine and softness that I used to have as my brunette self had disappeared slightly. 

After my first use with this conditioner I noticed an instant improvement, my hair felt silky-soft and didn't got knotted or tangled at all; which is a dream if you have as much hair as I do. There was even a glossy shine which made me feel like my hair all swooshy and totally hair-ad appropriate. 

I like to use a sizable dollop of this conditioner and really massage it in the mid-lengths and ends of my hair. It does boast that it doesn't weigh hair down or make it greasy as it has Macadamia oils in it and I can agree with that statement entirely, considering I don't have overly dry hair this product still hasn't overloaded my hair and made it feel weighty or like a huge ball of grease. 

The packaging design is a step-up from the standard Dove range, it looks clean, chic an very attractive to those with magpie tendencies - golds, pinks, coppers and blues galore. 

The top-down design means you get every last bit of product out easily and the actual tube itself is very malleable meaning you can really push all the product down to the bottom. 

The smell of the Dry Oil one is utterly delectable. It smells nutty, creamy and cocoa-y all in one delicious smell. It is one of those scents that does stick around so make sure you're a fan before purchasing if you're planning on trying it!

I have repurchased this around 3 - 4 times already and I only discovered it in August, I keep stocking up while it's still at its reduced pricing...not that I'd really begrudge paying £5.99 for it anyway!

Have you managed to try the Advanced Hair Series yet? Which one do you think works best for you? 

Don't forget to give my competition a quick enter too!! 

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Toodles!

x

Education

[Image Source: Etsy]

 One thing that is certain in life is that you never stop learning.

Whether you're actively looking to learn more or hone a skill by signing up to a course or just learning something off-hand by having a conversation with someone. 

I wrote a previous post about staying curious and that my focus since leaving education had waned slightly, however since writing that particular post I have gotten back in to the swing of actively looking to learn. 

I recently started a course in Digital Marketing, this was another Groupon purchase, Groupon is very good at keeping the learning alive! I am, of course, also learning Spanish on Duolingo.

Digital media and marketing has always fascinated me, as has human habits concerning the internet, technology advancements and uses. 

I am really enjoying the course so far and considering the interactive lessons are an hour each there is so much great information packed in to one lesson.

Learning something and being especially passionate about said subject is great and a wonderful way to still feel motivated to learn something new! 

I highly suggest seeking out different websites or even just checking voucher websites for amazing discounts on courses that may be of interest to you, so if it happens that in the end you really just aren't that interested, or you're not getting along with the subject it hasn't cost you a bomb or a £9k yearly university fee to try it out.

Do you still partake in extra courses to further your knowledge? Or is this something that does interest you and you are hesitant to try?

Toodles.

x

Smile

[Image Source: Pinterest] 

I love this quote.

Since I stumbled upon this little saying I have been trying to mould this in to my every day life. 

A smile from a stranger can really make a change in someones day and I would definitely rather be the person who took it upon themselves to smile than the person who ignored and dismissed a smile from a stranger. 

From the shyness the refuses to leave my personality, I do still find it difficult to seek out someones gaze just to flash a smile at them and I do sometimes wonder if they think I find them attractive or am just a bit mad.

"There goes that girl who smiles at everyone." 

You can't win them all.

I implore you all to smile at least 2 people tomorrow and see what kind of response you get.

Personally I get a nice feeling either way and you never know you might actually bring someone out of a terrible day!

Toodles.

x

Manic Monday #84

[Image Source; Pinterest]

Today was quite simply, a pile of pants.

Today has been trying to say the least; my patience, my determination and my positivity have been severely tested today.

Unfortunately they lost out and I've spent most of today in a grump, I also managed to smash my jaw in to a printer tray lid which was incredibly painful and thus lessened said mood even further. 

It's day like today that I do wonder what the hell I am doing where I am and why am I somewhere that a simple 'thanks' is never given. 

It's hard to stay motivated and want to do my best when the things I do produce are gone unnoticed and/or are unappreciated. 

I've taken a few moments out to de-stress and start typing away here.
Generally things don't tend to phase me much but when I know that my plate is overflowing and I'm being asked to pile more on with no spillage it starts to get to me. 

The rant out of the way I have some good things to focus my time on, I have Blogtober which I'm really enjoying, I have a course starting this evening which I'm really looking forward to, I am currently running my first ever giveaway, which I'm super excited about (if you haven't entered already, please do! It's lovely!) and that also in the grand scheme of today, does it really all matter?

But for now, I'm going to wallow for a bit because it really is OK to not be OK for a day or so, I have most definitely already eaten my body weight in carbs and I plan on eating an ice cream now - the idea of which is filling me with joy!

I hope your weekends were awesome and that you head on over to my giveaway to have a look!!

Toodles.

x

One Million Lovely Letters - Giveaway

For my birthday I was given One Million Lovely Letters, I had heard some whisperers about it and wanted to give it a read.

And wow, what a read it is!

I can quite easily say that even reading the things that Jodi has been through made me feel like there was no good left in the world, I have no idea how she managed to get herself through everything that she did, but she did it all with grace and incredible courage.

She is one incredibly strong, wonderful, inspirational, hard-working, amazing woman.

I think everyone could do with taking a leaf out of Jodi's book and really doing something lovely for someone else no matter how big or small. She came out of the darkest moments in her life and filled it with light by giving other people a push and a little encouragement that they are doing OK by writing the sweetest letters to people.

On that note, I have decided to hold my very first giveaway - I have purchased 2 copies of One Millions Lovely Letters and would love to send them two 2 of you!

To enter; 

All you need to do is be a follower of my blog over on Bloglovin' (I'll pop the magic button below) and also leave me a little comment of something lovely you have done for someone or something lovely that someone else did for you which made your day, week, month or even year!

The giveaway is open worldwide, feel free to enter from wherever you are.

I'll pick the two winners in exactly three weeks time (31st October) with an announcement post and will contact the winners directly for postal information.

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Toodles!

x 

*This is not a sponsored post and all prizes have been purchased by myself. 

Things I Love #4; Maps

I'm not too sure what it is that draws me to them, but I am always pulled in to a map. I like to visually explore places, discovering places and locations that may go unnoticed otherwise. 
I always stop to have a look at a globe if I spot one in a shop or at someones house, I just can't help myself. 

If I travel anywhere in the UK I generally find my way with map and road numbers rather than relying on a sat-nav. I always scope out a new place on Google Maps or with a map book, familiarising the landscape before arriving.

Antique maps are my favourites, the discoloration, the wrinkles, the small tears, the dog ears. How the world used to be and seeing how things have changed.

I'll pop some of my favourite finds below!

 

Which is your favourite?

So, so, so gutted I missed this post yesterday - it was supposed to be a quick one but I hadn't scheduled it or located the images I wanted so thought I would just post twice today to make up for it! 

Toodles.

x

S-Health

Samsung have added a health app to their phones - I'm unsure how new it is as I have my faithful Note II for well over 2 years - since getting the S5 I discovered S-Health.

A sneaky suspicion makes me think the S stands for Samsung...I don't know what it is...but you know I think I'm just a genius. (Obviously, the most sarcastic sentence ever written)

I'm actually finding this addition to my phone quite useful, it has an inbuilt pedometer to the S5 which you can have a widget, I'm unsure how precise it is as there was no syncing involved at all and I know that when I've been pottering about my office it hasn't registered them as I haven't moved more than 10 steps for example.

It sets daily step targets, as standard it is set at 6000 steps a day which you can change if you prefer - but I think 6000 steps is a feasible target to try and hit; it's around 5 km a day.

Once you hit your target a notification pings in and you are awarded a badge for your hard work, obviously it helps with the smugness factor that you've hit a target as well.

There is a section where you can keep note of sleeping patterns, giving you times to aim to go to sleep, which recommended time to wake up and to note if there are any factor which may interrupt sleep i.e caffeine intake.

You can keep note of your stress levels, you create a profile first, then put your finger on the sensor which measures your stress levels and you then select 'feeling' you can keep track of your levels to see if there are any trends if you are particularly stressed. 

There are loads of tips and tricks involved in the app, such as 10 snacks under 100 calories, does waist size matter, what to do if you suffer with back pain at work and so on and so forth. You can add on to the main sub-apps that are already there such as food intake, nutrition advice, you can even integrate it with the Nike Running app if you have it! I'm sure it is much more in depth than I have even used it for, but I enjoy using the bits that I have done.

I find it really user friendly, it is not complicated in the slightest and each section is kept really simple and to the point of what it's use is, no sections really overlap with one another which I think is great so you don't have to use any bits that you're really not interested in!

I'm really hoping some or most of you have a Samsung phone, if not this is probably a bit of a useless post...! But seeing as they have overtaken Apple in the phone selling game, likelihood is that at least one of you has one!

I hope you enjoyed this post, please let me know if you did and if you'd like me to review more apps in future.

Toodles.

x

Twilight

[Image Source: Pinterest]

Odd time - difficult to tell the difference between twilight and dawn - strange light

I was driving home at twilight today, it's a very odd time of the day. 

Such a strange light is cast over everything, it's almost like a light fog is creeping through all the nooks and crannies, obscuring your vision ever so slightly. 

But everything seems to slow down a little and a slight hush is cast all around, the birds ready themselves to settle down for the evening and everything is peaceful for a long moment. 

It's difficult just looking at the light to decipher whether the day has just broken or if it's coming to an end. 

X

Nuxe Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm

 I think I have found my ultimate, holy grail lip balm.

That is a big statement from me, I'm a fickle being so don't really have anything that I can say I feel is my holy grail item. 

Recent I had the most horrible dry, cracked lips for seemingly no reason at all, I upped my water intake, as dry lips can just be down to dehydration, but it didn't help at all and the dryness stubbornly remained.

I have heard so much about the Nuxe Lip Balm through the blogging and YouTube community but always in the back of my mind thought "£9.50 for a lip balm?! I don't think so..." but after researching which ingredients were the best for dry, cracked lips - Shea butter, beeswax, almond oil, honey - I found that nearly all of the recommended ingredients were actually contained in the Nuxe formula. As everything I used before didn't seem to be making the slightest bit of difference I bit the bullet and give it a try.

 I can honestly say that after using the lip balm for just a day made a huge difference to my lips - the dryness in the corners of my mouth had all but gone and they had made a huge difference to how my lips felt in the morning - they felt plump and moisturised. My upper lip was still split, it's not a miracle skin-mender, but my lips are much better then they had been in weeks.

I have since been able to wear lipstick again which I haven't been able to do for weeks on end.

It smells and tastes delicious; it has a hint of citrus - just a whiff makes me wistfully think of freshly baked lemon loaf. I'm not recommending you eat it, either, I just happened to taste a bit once when applying!

The texture is quite unusual, it's a very thick formula, definitely not one I'd put with a lip balm, it's more of a matte paste in my opinion. It applies nicely to the lips, it doesn't feel uncomfortable on the lips while it's working it's miraculous magic and once it's sunk in it leave the lips feeling well nourished with a demi-matte finish to them. 

The packaging is a small glass pot, which does the job - it's a little more luxe than your usual lip balms but I suppose for the price it should be expected! I know people frequently say they don't like the pot because of germs, but honestly would you stick a grubby finger in your lip balm, apply it to your mouth and then stick the same finger back in again? I personally wouldn't, so I don't think it's a huge issue for me...

Also, no sharing. Yuck.

I am very happy that I decided to give this a try, it's a great lip balm and it really is worth every penny. They do a stick formulation now, priced at £5.50, however I couldn't find the ingredient list anywhere so I can't tell you if they've changed it or not. I may give it a try if I need to repurchase any time soon!

Have you ever tried the Nuxe Lip Balm? How do you get on with it? Do you have any other lip balms that you would recommend?

Toodles.

x

Manic Monday #83

 
I'm sat here trying to think of a thrilling first sentence, it's obviously not going well. I needed words to start with so here we go. 

I've had quite some time today to think about a subject to chatter about in this evening's post but I'm drawing a blank for some reason - I am furiously planning and pre-writing other posts so that may be why or I just might be having one of those days where I'm not feeling particularly inspired.

I had a fun weekend, Ben and I actually got to spend the whole weekend together which is a complete novelty as he usually works every Saturday - we decided to take Kymi, my niece, to Hatton Country World, it's a place that I assume everyone should know about it because I do, like me assuming everyone knows where I live and how to get there - ha - it's a cute farm village based on the outskirts of a neighboring town, you can feed all the farm animals, goats, pigs, sheep, donkeys whoever decides to ram their faces through the fence really...you can hold guinea pigs - they literally have hundreds of the things - they hold falconry shows, talks about farm animals, have sheep races...yes, sheep races, loads of stuff for children to do and it's all set in the beautiful shire of Warwick. 

We all had a great time, yes, Ben and I are practically grown children, we enjoyed feeding the animals as much as my 10 year old niece and I never pass up the opportunity to hold something of the fluffy variety. 

  We watched the falconry show which was really informative, they showed a Harris Hawk first off, called Harry, obvs and then one of the workers was 'flying' a young Peregrine Falcon, he was only 5 months old and incredibly speedy. He managed to shatter himself out in around 5 minutes of flying as he's still building stamina and muscle mass as he's still practically a baby. Along with a family we were the only ones to stay for the Peregrine's training session so we got to chat to the trainer about him and how they train the birds they have. He told us they eat all of their prey, feathers, bones...the lot as this provides them with all of the nutrients they need to survive, which is something I never knew and he also said that 1 in 10 flights are a successful hunt and that only 1 in 10 Peregrine's will actually reach adulthood as they have a difficult little life in their first year!
He was incredibly well informed and you can tell he loves what he does, I love speaking to people full of passion that shine with joy that they're doing something they love.

On Sunday I dragged Ben out for a walk as it was a glorious day, we went to a local park which is also a golf course, it's so lush and green I adore going for walks there. 
In Autumn it turns in to an amazing golden and red place of dreams, when it's sunny and cool during this time of the year it's one of my favourite places to be. 
We were there for just under an hour, it makes me feel very zen when I'm there and you can't hear a sound.

And it's back to reality at 6.30 on a dark, soggy Monday morning!

How did your weekend turn out? Did you have any plans made? Was your Monday a bump back to reality?

Toodles.

x

Wanderlust List - Norwegian Fjords

Since first learning of the Fjords of Norway, they have well and truly settled themselves quite near the top of both my wanderlust and bucket lists. 

The images and videos I have seen of them instantly make me feel calm and relaxed; they have an aura of peace and tranquility about them. 

From the glass-like waters to the plush, green hills and mountains surrounding the fjords themselves it just looks like a place of absolute bliss. 

Looking through websites and images now for the purpose of this blog post is making me have cravings to book flights right now and go as soon as I can. 

New Years Celebrations, anyone? 

I could honestly research this place for hours on end!

 The Fjords look like an absolutely magical place that I would love to explore, I'm sure there are some breath-taking hiking trails to be explored and I think I could die happy knowing that I glided seamlessly through the crystal waters on a kayak. 

Imagine seeing the Aurora Borealis while wandering through quiet and serene hills and valleys. 

It would be the ultimate cherry on the top. 

Where is your ultimate travel destination? Have you been lucky enough to visit the Fjords? Do you have any recommendations if I do happen to visit?!

Toodles.

x

October

Dear October,

You are my last letter that I need to write, it feels good to be writing to you last, after August I think you're my next favourite. 

You tend to hold the vestiges of warmth from the sun, the leaves all turn a wonderful golden, red brown which look even more amazing against the blue sky; taking walks during days like this make me incredibly happy. 

You are Autumn through and through.

This year, my not-so-little-niece is turning 11, I honestly can't tell you where the years have disappeared to. It doesn't seem like a year ago that we were off on our family trip for her tenth birthday and I'm sure it won't feel like a year until she starts secondary school! She is at the age now where she's starting to develop in to a little sassy teen, she's incredibly clever, equally beautiful and very charming, which could be a dangerous mix as she grows up! But she does remind me of my brother and I, in how she handles herself at school, but probably with a little more sass, so I have a sneaky feeling she'll be fine. 

Halloween seems to dominate you, October, I've never been too in to Halloween as I'm not a fan of scary things or being scared, but I do love pumpkin carving! It's something that I have done since I was little and have done so for all of my life, I'm excited to create one this year. 

I feel some changes are on the horizon, I can't tell you exactly what...but I feel it in my bones. 

I've thoroughly enjoyed writing these monthly letters, October and do feel a little sad for them to finish...but pleased that I've seen it through to the end. 

I hope you've enjoyed reading my letters, do you have a series of letters? Or would you like to start one?

Toodles.

x