Tag Archives: summer

Things To Remember During The Heatwave

I don’t think anyone in the UK expected these temperatures to last as long as they have done, and they’re not predicted to be dropping soon either. Yes, its summer and its supposed to be better warmer, but this constant period is not what a classic Great British summer is normally like, and I’m sure we’ve all been feeling the heat.

I, for one, have found that this heatwave has also brought a wave of sleepless nights, a lack of any sort of motivation and a need for at least two cold showers a day just to make it through, but I’ve been thinking about other things that we should all remember while temperatures are high.

People need to dress cool, don’t make them feel uncomfortable

Short shorts, summer dresses, loose tops, one of the most important ways to survive the heat is to dress cool. What is not cool, however, is to stare at people, or make them feel uncomfortable in any way because of how they’re dressed. I wore denim shorts and a t-shirt to the supermarket on Wednesday, and was made to feel so super uncomfortable by a middle aged man who was so blatantly staring at my legs as I walked past him that I actually went straight to the checkout so I could leave, rather than picking up the last few things on my shopping list.

No one is to blame for the heat, so don’t take out your frustration on them

Anyone who can maintain a constant happy mood in this heat is a hero, but its ok if you’re feeling a little fed up. That said, taking out your frustration on anyone, from family and friends to customer service workers, is not ok.

Always carry water in the car

Whether you’re going on a 10 minute journey or a 3 hour trip, chuck a couple of bottles of water in the car. All it takes is a nasty traffic jam or a breakdown for you to be stuck in a rolling sauna for longer than you anticipated with no way of re-hydrating. And on that note, make sure your screen wash is topped up!

Sun burn is not cool or funny

I personally don’t understand why anyone thinks they don’t need to bother putting on sun cream. You might be one of those people who never burns, and that’s great, but you still need to protect your skin from the sun regardless, and if you do burn, then you shouldn’t even question using it.

Think of the animals

If you have pets, its so important to make sure they’re cool and hydrated. Try to avoid walking dogs on hot tarmac or sand, brush out long haired pets regularly and you can even go as far as setting up little paddling pools or making ice lollies for them. Do what you can for the wildlife too, put out water for birds and critters and try to create some shady spaces in your garden.

Regular water and shade breaks are super important

Indoors or outdoors, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water, and if you are soaking up the sun, make sure you’re spending some time in the shade as well!

Enjoy it while it lasts folks, I’m sure autumn will hit us like a brick!

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What I’m Doing With My Time Off

Next Friday is my last day at work before I officially make the big move up north. I could have left at the end of this week, which is what Matthew is doing, but because I work in finance I decided to do the nice thing and hang around to sort out June’s month end accounts instead of leaving my team before the busiest week of the month, so I’ve got just over a week still to go!

July is going to be the biggest month of my life; the month I officially fly not only the nest, but the town I grew up in and have lived in my whole life up til now, and there’s going to be so much to get used to, along with getting properly settled into the new house, unpacking and decorating etc, so I decided a little while ago that I wasn’t going to rush into finding a new job immediately, and instead take July off for a bit of me time, but also a bit of ‘getting stuff done’ time.

Enjoy summer

I haven’t got to just enjoy a summer off since I was at school. I’ve taken some annual leave at work, but only ever for trips abroad, so its been ages since I’ve been able to just laze about in the sun, sit out in the garden and have endless bbqs.

Vamping up old blog posts

For the longest time now I’ve been meaning to go back over some of my old blog posts from before I edited photos or made pretty flatlays and spruce them up with new photos and a little bit of editing because there are so many posts that I loved writing and would love to share more, but feel a little embarrassed when I see dull or rushed photos.

Life admin

Moving comes with so much work you don’t even think about, like updating address on everything from bank accounts and credit cards to electoral rolls, and I just know that its not going to be straightforward given that our address still doesn’t exist on most systems..

Explore my new home

Although I’ve been to Manchester more in the last few months than I had done in my whole life beforehand, I still don’t know much of the city passed the Trafford Centre, not to mention the towns surrounding Winsford and the rest of the North West region.

Starting matched betting

I’ve been thinking about trying matched betting for a little while now, but I’ll actually have some time to put into it and hopefully I’ll be able to reap the rewards if I don’t mess it up too much! Luckily I have some excellent guides who are well experienced in it to help me along the way, so I’m really hoping for good results..

Working for little old me

While I’m calling July my ‘time off’, I will still be busting my butt for my small businesses, and July will give me the opportunity to see if I can do well enough to take what I do full time, so I’ll appreciate any orders that come my way through the month!

Working ON little old me

I’m really just looking forward to having some time for myself, and being able to take the time to get my life on track. I’ll have time to cook proper meals, get back into marathon training and work on feeling better about myself.

I’m not counting down the days, promise..

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Small Summer Goals

Every year for the last few years I have written a summer bucket list, and every year I’ve only managed to tick one or two things off of those lists.

I think I always think that the summer is a time where I can get loads done, because during our school years the summer holidays are the longest time we would get off, but in the real world work, I don’t get six weeks off during the most glorious time of the year, in fact last year I didn’t get any time off work in the summer.

This year will actually be a little different as I’ll be leaving my current job in July 6th, and plunging myself into a bit of uncertainty with what I’ll be doing after we move, but I don’t want to pressure myself into thinking I should be working through a list of activities while dealing with it all. Instead, I’m setting myself some little goals for the summer; things that are actually achievable even if things do get stressful or busy.

Spend more time outdoors

Because I’m normally working through the summer months, I find that I’m rarely out enjoying the sun for the short period of time we get sun here in the UK. I won’t be by the beach, but we do have a lovely big garden at our house, and we’re surrounded by lovely fields for walks, so imma get me some more vitamin D.

Lose two inches

Whatever my body looks like, that is my summer body, and I’m happy accepting that, but I have gained some weight recently since breaking my ankle, and I’d like to try and shift a little bit of it before I get back into marathon training in the autumn.

Explore my new home

I’m still coming to terms with the fact that in a months time I’ll be a northerner, and it’s gonna take some time before I really get to know the area, but while the weather is good (or as good as it gets up north), it seems like the best time to get out and about.

Bake more

I know that when it starts heating up outside, turning the heat up in the kitchen seems a little strange, but I’ve got a brand new kitchen to play in and I miss baking so much right now that I want to make more of an effort to make the time for it.

Our garden’s first bbq

We also need to break in our new garden and what’s better than a bbq in the summer?

What are your plans for the summer?

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My Beach Makeup and What Stayed Put

Its the classic dilemma for girls. Summer poses a whole new problem when it comes to makeup, because gone are the days of winter drying out everyone’s skin like there’s no tomorrow, and instead its the challenge of finding products that won’t melt off your face during the warmer summer days, but can also stand up to a bit of water, whether that’s from swimming in the sea on a beach day, or just the Great British summer showers (read: heavy rain that shows up right when we think its finally getting good).

This year, I was faced with this issue a little earlier as going to Hawaii in April meant I had a little less time to perfect my product choices, but it also meant that I could test run some products before the little summer that hits the UK – which seems to be happening right now – actually kicked in. Some of what I took with me were items that are regulars from my makeup stash, and others I took on recommendation from the Twittersphere, and they all went through a somewhat rigorous test in the 27C heat of Hawaii. But would they all make the cut for future wear?

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

I bought this on recommendation from a number of people – I actually bought the travel sized one, y’know in case it wasn’t any good and I didn’t get stuck with a big bottle that I’d spent a lot of money on, but actually the travel sized one is still pretty sizeable which made it seem like pretty good value for money! This product is an absolute trooper. I sprayed it over products that I know aren’t waterproof and knew would probably wash off within minutes and amazingly they held up so well, leaving me bronzed and highlighted even after a whole day on the beach.

NYX Proof It! Waterproof Eyeshadow Primer

I took this with me because I know how well it works. This is the eyeshadow primer that I use every day and I actually believe it to be a miracle product – it turns any eyeshadow waterproof and I’ve even tried running swatches under a tap before and saw absolutely no shadow movement with this badboy, plus at £6 a tube its a steal.

Makeup Forever Aqua XL Waterproof Eyeliner

Call me crazy, but blue eyeliner is my jam, and I’ve always been a Barry M girl but have never been able to find a suitable replacement for my now discontinued favourite shade of pencil, but I stumbled across this one in Sephora last year, and when it claimed to be waterproof as well it was like killing two birds with one stone. The pencil itself is surprisingly soft, so very little pressure is needed on application, and it also blends well which can be fab, but I worried seeing how soft it was that it wouldn’t survive in the water, but was thankfully proven very wrong – in fact, when I swatched it in Sephora before buying, it was several days before that blue line faded from the back of my hand even with daily showering and handwashing.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara

So this was another recommendation, and having never tried the cult favourite in its non-waterproof form either, I thought now was a great chance to see what all the fuss was about. Again, I bought this in the travel size tube to save a bit of money until I decided whether or not I liked it. The mascara itself surprised me as I’ve religiously stuck to Eyeko Black Magic for a number of years now and had never found another mascara that gave my lashes the same natural but wow look that Black Magic does for me, but despite being a very different shaped brush, I really liked how this product made my lashes look, so I was buzzed to test it out in the water. Unfortunately, that’s were it fell flat on its face. I felt like just looking at water had it running, and although I wasn’t crying black or anything like that, on more than one occasion I left the poolside looking a bit panda-ish. I’d probably buy the mascara again in its normal formula, but I felt a little let down by this one..

Benefit Gimme Brow

Gimme Brow is not my every day eyebrow product, but I do use it from time to time, and as I feared a little that my usual dipbrow wouldn’t hold up, I took this out with me as well. Now my Gimme Brow was pre product recall, so I don’t know how it differs from the new formula that was re-released recently, and I don’t think either claim any sort of waterproof capabilities, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well this did. I still used my regular dipbrow, but then went over it with this, and I still had decent looking eyebrows at the end of each day, even after being in the sea and the pool, and what more could I ask for?

Other shoutouts go to my current favourite foundation, The Ordinary Serum Foundation, for being SPF 15 so keeping my face a little more protected, and Benefit’s Dandelion Shy Beam and Sun Beam liquid highlighters for giving me a subtle shimmer and glow which held up well thanks to the UD setting spray!

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Blueberry Lemonade

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over a few attempts at making my own, life’s gotta give you a whole load of lemons before you can make much lemonade!

This recipe, however, is well worth squeezing a few lemons, and I know I’m gonna be making it over and over through the summer months because I could drink this all day!

You will need:

  • 5-6 lemons
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1/2 cup granulated or caster sugar

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar with 250ml water and add the blueberries. Start to heat this over a medium heat.

While keeping an eye on the blueberry mixture, squeeze the lemons – preferably using a hand juicer to get the most juice out! You should be aiming for about 175-200ml.

After 3-4 mins of simmering, the blueberries in the pan should be broken down, and the liquid should be a nice purple colour. Remove the mixture from the heat, and drain using a fine sieve to ensure none of the skins or bitty bits get through. Let this cool down a little.

In a large jug, combine the lemon juice with 1.25 litres of cold water, then pour in the blueberry syrup and whisk to combine. Pop into the fridge to allow the mixture to fully cool, then serve over ice and enjoy!

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Get Sparkly For Summer

Who else is mega excited that the sun has finally started making an appearance?!

Sun means summer, and summer means beach days, festivals and pretty much every day is an excuse to be your best and sparkliest self – so get sparkly!

As a self-confessed highlighter addict, I make my love of all things sparkly pretty obvious, and here are a bunch of products that are perfect to get you shining away this summer:

Unicorn Heart highlighter from I Heart Makeup

I don’t reach for this highlighter nearly as much as I should do, but its multicoloured shine is perfect for music festivals and carnivals.

Barry M Dazzle Dust

I’ve loved Dazzle Dust since I was a teenager; its super pigmented and lasts really well, plus it feels so light! I have quite a few brighter shades, but at the moment I’m loving Aphrodite, which is a shell-pinky/nude which works amazing as a loose powder eyeshadow, but also when lightly dusted on your cheekbones as an extra shiny highlight.

Dandelion Twinkle from Benefit

I’m really a sucker for everything from Benefit’s Dandelion range, but I couldn’t help but pick up this new highlighter when I was last in Sephora and its so pretty!

Shimmy Shimmy Shimmer Bar from Lush

This just sorta fell into my basket when I was last in Lush.. Its a cocoa butter based bar which has the most beautiful vanilla scent, and is packed with environmentally friendly glitter! Its essentially a moisturiser which leaves you super sparkly, but you can also use it as a solid perfume and a highlighter. Rub it all over your arms and legs to sparkle away on a night out!

Illuminating Strobe Cream in Frosty Pink from Barry M

Not only is this a fab product for under £5, but this is also a highstreet dupe of Clinique’s Chubby Stick highligter which is £19.50!

Anastasia Beverly Hills x Nicole Guerriero Glow Kit

Remember when I bought this back in February and fell in love with it? Well I’m still in love with it and its going to be my best friend through the summer. Full review and swatches here!

What are your favourite summer beauty products?

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My Summer 2017 Bucket List

It may not still be able to quite make up its mind, but the sun is finally shining in Bournemouth today and I’m hoping and praying that summer is finally on its way at last!

I have zero holiday allowance left at work, so this will be the first summer in a good few years that I haven’t been jetting off somewhere on a grand adventure, but I won’t be letting that stop me from filling my free time with as many little adventures and activities as I can. I wrote a summer bucket list last year, but I hardly scraped the surface with that list so I’m starting anew and hoping to actually complete this years!

  • Go to a music festival – no, I’m not gonna be hitting Glasto or V-fest, but we have a few great local festivals and I really fancy spending a day on a picnic mat listening to good live music and eating from food trucks in the sun.
  • Pick your own – I’ve always fancied going to one of those farms where you can pick your own berries and stuff
  • Bingo night – I have never been to a bingo club before, and I’m a little dubious, but so many people say its a good laugh so why not?
  • Go to an outdoor cinema – something on the list from last year that I never managed to do, here’s hoping for success this year
  • Take Matthew to the air festival – Bournemouth Air Festival is a pretty big deal, and Matthew’s never been before and put a pilot at an air festival and I’m pretty sure he’ll be happy
  • Actually get a tan – I normally spend too much time indoors to see any sort of colour change in my skin, but after a bit of a top up on my trip to California, I’m keen to spend as much time outdoors so that my legs stop reflecting light.
  • Tale as Old as Time Afternoon Tea – late to the party, but I’m finally going to the famous Beauty and the Beast afternoon tea at the Kensington Hotel with two of my favourite people in June and I can’t wait!
  • Go Ape – I’ve been saying for ages that I want to go back to Go Ape at Moors Valley, and I need to actually get round to swinging in the trees again
  • Celebrate our first anniversary – when I wrote my summer bucket list last year, one of the things on that list was my first date with Matthew. Well that was almost a year ago now, and I can’t wait to celebrate a whole year with the love of my life.

I’ve kept the list a little shorter this year in the hopes that I’ll actually achieve all of them! Wish me luck!

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My New Fitness Routine

I mean, I couldn’t stay at Muscle Beach forever..

In line with my post from Sunday, I’ve gotta get back on track with my fitness training. Having only just recovered from the jet lag, this morning was my first day back at the gym since before holiday, and although I did spend my holiday running a 10K and a half marathon, I’m definitely feeling the slump from a lack of workouts recently!

Now I’m a firm believer that the term ‘bikini body’ is a load of bull, and it really does grind my gears when health and fitness companies try to use the summer as a way to shame people into thinking they should be slimmer, but while my motivation has nothing to do with that, I do want to up my training heading into the summer months, for myself, my body confidence and no other reason.

Running

Personally, I hate running during the summer. I live on the beach and you’d think that would be perfect for running during the summer but I cannot stand it; it’s busy and the sun is glaring down and there’s no shade plus kids and dogs and bikes are everywhere. No thanks.

I also don’t do any big races during the summer, primarily due to heat, so I don’t have to worry about training too much, but I do want to maintain my consistency, so I’ll be aiming to do at least two runs a week – preferably a 5K and a 10K, just to keep myself moving and on form. I don’t see the point in pushing myself too much as I’m too prone to injury!

Gym

The gym is probably where I feel my most confident when it comes to fitness. I’ve seen such amazing progression that I don’t feel at all ashamed to say that I’m proud of myself, and I’m not stopping here. I’ll be aiming to visit at least 3-4 days a week, mixing both weight and strength training with some cardio options like spinning and rowing.

Given that I’m reining back my run training, I can get away with doing more leg training, as when I’m preparing for races I’m very cautious about what lower body work that I do, so I’ll definitely be stepping up with squats and lunges galore. My main focus has always really been upper body, especially my arms, and that will still be a big focus for me, but I also really enjoy finding more functional moves and workouts to get my whole body engaged!

Home Workouts

Where most people would probably have an area rug on their bedroom floor, I have my yoga mat rolled out at all times. I try not to waste precious gym time doing exercises that I can easily do at home, so evenings are the times that I generally do more calisthetics. I have both the Tone It Up and Blogilates apps on my phone, so I’m aiming to stick to the TIU daily moves every day, as well as one video by either K&K or one of my Blogilates faves.

I’m also hoping to fit some more yoga into my routine, both for strength and flexibility as well as time for meditation and relaxation, and praying I can master that forearm stand!

Fun Fitness

On top of everyday exercise, I’m hoping to squeeze a lot more fun into the summer months – Swimming, long adventurous walks, high ropes, trampolining, anything that’s a little bit different and a whole lotta fun really! If I’m enjoying myself and I’m being active then even better, right?

Do you mix up your fitness routine when summer comes?

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Lesson Learnt by a First Time Fake Tanner

That’s right. First timer..

I’ve always thought myself lucky in that I’ve always tanned fairly well naturally, but that generally involves spending a lot of time in sunshine, which is something that I haven’t really had much of recently, and with my trip to California looming, and my legs shining whiter than the moon, I decided that I was going to do something about it.

Being a first timer, I knew that a proper fake-tanner was never gonna be a good idea, so instead I opted for a gradual tanner instead, and took a recommendation to try Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze lotion, and here are a few things that I’ve learnt along the way..

Always read the label

So my first tanning faux pas came the morning after my first attempt. It said on the label to wash hands after use, and did I? Well my bright orange hands in the morning might give away that answer..

Get a feel for it

If its your first time using a particular product, trial it carefully. Either test it on a small area that can’t be seen, or do a super light layer to see its effects before you totally slather yourself in it.

If you’re uncertain, go gradual

There was no way I could have thrown myself in at the deep end with a regular fake tanner on a first attempt!

Even coverage matters

Even when using a gradual tanner, being sure to get a clean spread is still super important to avoid any weird lines or streaks.

Creases collect

Knees, armpits, ankles are a few of the biggest culprits, watch out for weird lines and darker patches!

Exfoliators and scrubs are your friends

Orange hands, weird patches, these products are like little erasers.

Results are slightly addictive

Once you find a product and a routine that works and you start seeing results, you might find it a little difficult to stop.

I’m really happy with the results I’ve been seeing, even after just a few weeks. It started out as just a way to fake it until I get to California and can build a little bit of a tan for myself, but I may just have to keep it up through the summer, especially as everyone knows you can’t trust the UK sun.. But also cos its cocoa butter based and it smells delicious.

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A Pre-Summer Pastel Mermaid Haul

While it may seem a little overplayed at times (I’m looking at you, Primark), I’m still a real sucker for the mermaid style trend.

I’m also a sucker for cute swimwear, and despite telling myself that this year I wasn’t going to buy anything new, I then discovered South Beach, and this beautiful pastel seashell dream of a bikini just fell into my online basket.. And so did these adorable colour block shorts.. What can I say, I’m weak.

The bikini is just the prettiest and really great quality for a really reasonable price, although I’d recommend sizing up if you tend to fall between sizes, or if you’re a little larger up top, just to be on the safe side! I’m generally a size 10, but my B/C cup boobs only really fit in once I took out the removable padding, as there was no chance they’d fit with padding in there! The shorts on the other hand are a perfect fit. The fabric is lightweight and ever so slightly stretchy which is ideal for pulling on and off down the beach or frolicking in the sun without feeling constricting, and I’m super excited to take them to Disneyland with me next month!

However, a not so accidental purchase was my GORGEOUS new yoga mat from PopFlexActive, which is the fitness brand from Blogilates founder Cassey Ho. I’ve been lusting after the Mermaid Couture mat for ages now, and I’d set it as a little reward for being good with my fitness, so with the summer approaching and to encourage myself to get back into yoga going into the warmer months. I love that the mat is eco-friendly and latex free, its feels absolutely top quality and of course its such a stunning and unique design and I’ve been wanting a cute mat to replace my boring grey one for almost a year now.

Is it summer now please?

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Homemade Turkey Burgers

Just because its September first doesn’t mean barbecue season has to be over just yet, especially as the weather has only just started picking up!

That being said, burgers aren’t just for BBQing, and these turkey burgers are a particular favourite of mine, and super easy to make!

Homemade turkey burgers

For about 6 burgers, you’ll need 500g turkey mince, 1 tsp oregano, 2 tbsp breadcrumbs and salt and pepper to season.

  • Tip your mince into a bowl, and using either your hands or a wooden spoon, break up the mince until even
  • Add the oregano and breadcrumbs to the mince and knead the mixture to ensure and even spread throughout. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and combine.
  • Using your hands, make the patties – the more you knead the mixture, the easier you’ll find this is to do, otherwise they can break up a little!
  • If you’re making these to eat another time, you can freeze the patties at this point, keeping them separate using greaseproof paper.
  • If not, these are good to go straight under the grill or onto the BBQ! Cook on each side for about 5 minutes, then pierce each side with a kebab skewer before continuing to cook. Just like chicken, you want the juices to be running clear!

Homemade turkey burgers

Now I’m a sucker for classic burger cheese, but if you’re feeling a little fancier then halloumi would also be great on these burgers, and I like to add a smear of green pesto for extra yumminess!

Homemade turkey burgers

Have I tempted you with this recipe, or are you a classic beef burger kinda person?

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Homemade Pastel Swirl Ice Cream

Did you read my Summer Bucket List? Well one of the things on there was making my own ice-cream, and while I could have made any old plain vanilla or chocolate, I went a little more colourful..

Pastel Ice Cream

It doesn’t involve a stand mixer, it doesn’t take hours of prep, and it looks and tastes amazing! You know, if I do say so myself..

1. Before you start on your ice cream mix, get yourself set up with 4-5 bowls, each containing a drop or two of gel/paste food colouring in your chosen colours – liquid colouring will not work with this recipe! Have spoons ready in each bowl, and a large loaf tin or 8 inch square tin ready too.

2. In a glass or metal bowl, whisk 500ml whipping cream until it holds peaks, but is still smooth.

3. Using a metal spoon, fold in 1 can of sweetened condensed milk – 14oz/397ml – until combined, then quickly split the mixture between the bowls with food colouring in.

4. Working fairly quickly – but without beating all the air out! – mix in the colouring until fully combined.

5. Scoop the different colours into the pan – you can layer them or dot them randomly, then use a skewer to swirl them together!

Pastel Ice Cream

6. Freeze the mixture for 6-8 hours, then scoop!

Pastel Ice Cream

You know that this would go great with? My Pastel Dreams Cheesecake!

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Guest Post – Top 5 Summer Films

Today’s post is brought to you by the lovely Llinos from The Lilac Linnet, go check out her blog for more – I even featured in one, read it here!

It’s definitely summer now, despite all the rain, and on a lovely light evening you may be looking for a good film to watch while you enjoy some ice cream.  Here are my top picks of some films to watch over summer.

Date Night

This is one of my favourite ever films EVER.  I love Tina Fey and this film has it all for me.  It’s such a fast moving plot about a couple who take another couple’s table reservation in a swanky new restaurant, and the crazy stuff that happens to them after that!  There’s a lot of action and humour, I can’t recommend it enough.

Clueless

Ladies, do I need to say anything about this one?  It’s a loose adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma and is just so pink and kitcsh that it’s ideal to watch on a summer evening.  Tell me you didn’t lust after Alicia Silverstone’s wardrobe!

Erin Brockovich

This film is so uplifting, all about the power of one woman and a small company against a huge corporation and it is just KICK ASS.  I can’t watch it without crying.  If you want to be inspired, go for this one.

Mona Lisa Smile

Another Julia Roberts pick, this is about a girls school where the pupils have been raised to be wives and mothers and nothing else.  That all changes when their new teacher arrives.  It’s quite an emotional ride with some great acting, a brill one to watch with the girls this summer.

The Duchess

I am a big history geek and I could not write this list without featuring a full on period drama, with swoonworthy costumes and an emotional rollercoaster of a plot… Georgiana Spencer marries the Duke of Devonshire, but it is a loveless match and he moves his mistress into their home.  It’s definitely one to watch with the girls and a box of tissues.

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Beach Days Wishlist

Beach Day Ready Wishlist

 

I dunno about anyone else, but I am so ready for summer to properly start!

I mean, I know that strictly speaking we are officially in summer now, but no one seems to have CC’ed the weather in on that information and I just want the sun to come out to play, especially with one of the UK’s best beaches just a short walk from my house!

If you read my Summer Bucket List, you’ll have seen the first point was getting my girls down to Bournemouth for a good old fashioned day at the beach, fish and chips and ice-cream not optional, and my desperation for this to happen has inspired a classic Wednesday wishlist of fun beachy bits and bobs!

First up is a bit of a cheat because I’ve bought it second hand from a friend of mine, but seriously how cute is this Hello Kitty Instax?! I’ve been going back and forth a bit with the idea of getting a little one, and I couldn’t resist this for beach days as well as my trip to China next month! And along the tech lines, I think this beach radio from Sunnylife is amazing, and I love that you can connect your phone or mp3 player and use it as speakers.

Next up: beach activities! A donut frisbee? Yes please! I mean, I’ve got no hand/eye coordination for throwing and catching, but I think a donut would motivate me to try at least! Once you’re exhausted from all the throwing and running around, food is next on the agenda, kept cool in this multicoloured beauty of a cool bag from Bando.

Now I already have too many swimsuits, but that doesn’t stop me from checking the Asos sale every now and then anyway.. I’m a sucker for an usual design, and this v-shaped ombre beauty is gorgeous! I’m also absolutely obsessed with Spectrum brushes right now, and I’ve got my eye on two different sets: the 10 piece essentials and Siren Smoke eye brushes; I mean, they’re basically meant for mermaids right?!

What are your beach trip essentials?

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Summer 2016 Bucket List

One thing about not being at school anymore (I mean, its only been 3 years..) is that I don’t have a proper defined ‘summer’ anymore. Having 6-8 weeks set aside for me to do summer things every year made planning so much easier, but now I’m in the grown-up world, I have to squeeze fun in between shifts and other commitments.

Summer Bucket List

I do love a good bucket list though, and other than my job getting in the way, I really hope I can tick as many things off this list as I can by September!

  • Get my Disney girls to Bournemouth for a beach day – I’ve been promising to organise something, and I plan to see it through!
  • Visit more of the UK – there are so many places I’d love to see, and now I’m such a confident driver it seems like the perfect time!
  • Read more – I’ve got a reading list as long as my arm, and I’ve hardly touched it..
  • Spend time with my friends who have been away at uni – some of my friends I haven’t seen in 2/3 years, and with everyone graduating soon, we’re due a good catch up.
  • See as much of Bournemouth Air Festival as I can – I missed all of it because of work last year, waa
  • Have a picnic in the New Forest – sometimes I forget that I have such a beautiful countryside right on my doorstep!
  • Do more blogging from the garden – I’ve written some of my favourite posts in the sunshine, and hello Vitamin D!
  • Go back to Oxygen Freejumping – I had such a blast at the Airborne Fitness class, I’m dying to get back there for a fun bounce!
  • Go camping (even if its just a night!) – I have such a cute tent, it seems a shame to not use it!
  • Swim in the sea – I’m ashamed to say I normally just paddle..
  • Go to an outdoor cinema – we’ve just got one in Bournemouth, although I’d love to get to a Film4 Summer Screen at Somerset House!
  • Beach yoga – you know, the sort you’d do at 5am when no one else is around to see you looking like an idiot..
  • Ride my bike – I’m a little terrified of riding my bike on the roads (I’m super clumsy) but it would be nice to get it out of the garage
  • Go to Moors Valley and do Go Ape – I used to love high ropes, but its been such a long time since I’ve been there!
  • Visit the penguins at Bournemouth Oceanarium – PENGUINS
  • Visit Warner Brothers Studios London – I went in the first year it opened, but so much has been added now and I’m craving butterbeer!
  • Watch fireworks – I mean, it’ll hardly be Wishes at WDW, but fireworks are a mandatory summer activity, right?
  • Find a new job – I’d really love to find a more fulfilling job, retail is crushing my soul a little
  • Make my own ice-cream – I’ve only done this once before and it didn’t go too well, so here’s to round 2!
  • Go on a first date – when I originally planned this post, this point was meant to be ‘go on a second date’, but life got in the way a little bit last week and the first date had to be reschuduled, and because I know the guy in question will be reading this, I wanna make him sweat just a little bit over when it’ll actually happen 😉

As well as work, I’ve obviously also got to fit all of this around my China/Hong Kong trip next month (eeek!), but I think I stand a pretty good chance, and I love a challenge! Do you think I can do it?

What’s on your summer bucket list?

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#SummerofMatcha – Matcha Green Tea Mojito!

Sometimes blogging is hard work, and sometimes it involves drinking rum.

#SummerofMatcha Matcha Mojito

I’m all about the matcha; I drink it every day and its one of my favourite superfood products out there, so when I discovered EatCleanTea, and found that they offer a range of flavours as well as pure green, I was so excited to be a part of their #SummerofMatcha competition and I jumped at the chance to try their Mint + Matcha blend!

Why is matcha so great?

Matcha is a super concentrated pure green tea, that has health benefits from an increased metabolism to clearer skin, and can enhance concentration and calm the mind!

Now I don’t know about you, but when I think of summer and mint, I think beach, BBQs and mojitos, and thus, the Matcha Mojito was born!

#SummerOfMatcha Matcha Mojito

You will need:

  • Matcha + Mint
  • 1 lime, cut into two halves
  • A handful of mint leaves
  • White rum (you can substitute lemonade to make it a virgin!)
  • Soda water
  • Ice cubes
  • Sugar (optional)

Run around the rim of your glass with one of the lime halves, then dip into sugar to coat the top. Fill the glass with ice and mint leaves, and using a muddler of long spoon, mash them around a bit to release the mint flavours!

In a small glass or bowl, whisk together the juice of one lime half and a scoop of M+M; it’ll be lovely and green! Add a mint leave or two, and whisk a little more, then pour this into your prepared glass.

Add 1 measure of rum, squeeze the remaining lime half into the glass, and top the mix up with soda water. Give it a stir, chuck in a straw and enjoy!

#SummerofMatcha Matcha Mojito

That’s right, a cocktail with health benefits!

I was provided with a sample of Matcha + Mint by EatCleanTea for use in this recipe. All opinions are my own. Please drink responsibly.

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Friday Favourite Five – Summer Dresses and Playsuits

The sun is starting to creep out, and I’m starting to spend more time with my legs out and less time in long sleeves, yay!

While I now that the Great British summer is far from reliable, I can help but pray that its time to start breaking out some of my favourite summer outfits, and just in case it all goes downhill from here, I thought I’d share some of them today!

Blue Vanilla dress

I love everything about this dress! It was from Blue Vanilla (last year) and I fell in love with the print the moment I saw it, and I love the fabric too – its super light and floaty!

Nasty Gal dress

This dress just screams summer to me. It was from Nasty Gal a good few years ago now, but I still love it and its perfect for everything from beach and bbq to cocktails with the girls.

Pompom playsuit

I stumbled across this adorable playsuit from LJCDesignss on Etsy and it was everything I hoped it would be or more! Its a super lightweight cotton, and the pom poms and tassels make it so fun.

Missguided playsuit

A Missguided sale snag, this strapless playsuit reminds me of neopolitan icecream for some reason, ha! As well as being cute from the front, has an open back that ties up at the top, and it has pockets, yay!

Asos dress

I’m not normally one for an a-line, but I really like this Grecian style and the colour, and its really easy and comfortable to wear!

What are your summer wardrobe staples?

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YearOfFit – Why I’ve Already Failed the TIU Bikini Series

This is a bit of a rambling post if I’m honest, and in no way am I slating the Bikini Series, I just want to talk about why it hasn’t worked out for me.

I love Tone It Up. Karena and Katrina are so inspiring and I’ve loved their videos for a while now, so I was really excited to sign up for this year’s bikini series. It’s an 8 week programme that is totally free to join, with daily workouts, check ins and support from all the other participants, and even healthy recipes to get you on your way. Its a fabulous programme, and I was so excited to be a part of it.

I lasted a week.

Here’s the deal. Yes, its an great programme; the workouts are perfect and the videos are so much fun to work along with, but it just didn’t fit in with me and my regular workout schedule and my lifestyle, for these reasons:

You have to follow it to the day

This may have been my own misunderstanding, but I thought it was an 8 week programme that you could start whenever you fancied, but because the daily workout moves are only available on the website on that day, then *poof*, new ones appear the next day. This meant that given I was in Disneyland Paris in the first week of the series and planned on starting the following week, I ended up having to check the workouts, write them down, and then do them the following week, which was a bit silly.

I have my own running schedule

The programme includes a running planned called 100 by Summer, which I think is great; running is so good for you. My run training schedule, however, is something that I carefully devised for myself based on my upcoming races, and as an existing runner, not all of my run days matched up with the TIU run days.

I don’t have equipment at home

Again, I reiterate: I love the Tone It Up workout videos, they’re ideal for doing at home. The problem I had with them, however, is that often they include equipment such as dumbbells and kettlebells, which I have access to at the gym, but not at home, and personally, I think I’d feel a bit silly doing a YouTube video in the corner of my gym.

I train a lot

I already visit the gym 3-4 times a week, and do at least half an hour with a personal trainer each week, so sometimes my leg day doesn’t link up with leg day on the programme etc. I’m also stupidly injury prone, so I know that I need a rest day every week or two; I could easily take a rest day on the programme by just skipping a day, but there aren’t any particularly stated, so I’d just kinda feel like I’m cheating!

I live in England

The weather here sucks sometimes. I’d love to get down the beach or out in the garden to do the workouts, but when its bucketing down in the great British summer, its not exactly appealling..

I really hope this post hasn’t come across as too negative about the programme; I do honestly think its great and I’ve seen so many amazing transformations through it, it just didn’t work out for me. I wish it did because its a lot of fun, and I have and still will be using some of the videos and workout moves in my regular fitness regime, but I’m taking it more as inspiration than a routine!

Have you tried the TIU Bikini Series?

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Summer Vibes Wishlist

I can’t be the only person who, when completely broke and on a total spending ban, spends all my time putting together wishlists, right?

In fact, I’m fairly certain that its this habit of strict budgeting when living for the next payday that leads me to blow my money on everything I’ve been looking at in the past month, and the cycle goes on.. SO ITS SUMMER WISHLIST TIME!

Summer Vibes

So for starters, I’m a bit of a nail varnish snob. For me, its got to be Barry M because a) I think they’re great, and b) it means all my nail varnishes match nicely. The Gelly range is so nice and high shine, perfect for summer, and wouldn’t this shade go so perfectly with this ADORABLE Skinnydip tote bag?! I love Skinnydip, its all just way too cute and this bag is no exception.

This next one’s a little bit of a cheat.. Triangl bikinis are beautiful and as much as I’d love one, they run pretty pricey.. I did, however, read a great post by Georgia from Rent or Chanel about a dupe she bought off eBay, and it looks so good that its giving me the confidence to risk buying one; plus the copies are less than £10 so I kinda feel like I wouldn’t be wasting much!

Next up is this cutie-pie unicorn phone case from Missguided – I’m a real sucker for a silicone phone case, and also for pom poms, hence the addition of this straw fedora, also Missguided. Last up, pastel, ombre and Converses are three of my favourite words. I wear hi tops all through summer, no matter what the weather is doing, so these would be perfect for the beach!

Are you feeling those summer vibes approaching?

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