Sticking to a budget can be hard and when your a home owner and have bills to pay for you don't really get a choice. I've been living in my own home now for just over a two years now and I have found some ways that help me to stick to my budget and not go into my overdraft every month.
- Meal Plan
This can be a life safer if you are someone who ends up buying a bunch of food that you don't need. Cal and I like to sit down and plan what we are going to eat for dinner that week for many reasons, one is so we can get what we need on our weekly shop ahead of time and because it gives us something to look forward to.
- Stick to your list
I think it should be a known rule never to go food shopping while you are hungry otherwise I come back with 2 cinnamon swirls, 3 different biscuits and a box of microwave chips so stick to the items on your list. You made a list for a reason so only get the food that you need.
- Choose food with multiple uses
It's easy to buy food because you like it but it worked for one meal and then its done. I like to make meals which I can freeze for another night or pop in the fridge for my lunch tomorrow. It helps me save money and stops me using everything in my freezer in one go.
- Shop Around
Before I moved out I was a self confessed Tesco addict and if I needed anything whether it was food or random bits I would go to Tesco. When we moved out we didn't know how we would find balancing our mortgage, food shopping, petrol and such so we ended up trying the Aldi store which is 10 minutes down the street from our house. We've found we can get a full weekly shop with meat and chicken and the everyday bits for between £20-£30 which is really good considering how much we bring home so we are official Aldi converts now. I love the chicken and meat from Aldi so if you don't already shop there then you should try it once. I know down the line when we start to have a family it will really help with saving our money. Its easy to stick to a shop that you are familiar with but when you can save all this money you have to give it a go.
- Check your online banking daily
It sounds very silly but I am terrible for not checking my online banking for days and it has become Cals job to remind me to pay the bills. By checking it daily you know exactly what bills has already come out and what you still need to pay for, that way if you see something you want for the house you know what money you have left for the month.
- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Anyone else remember this saying up on every wall in your school?
It does still apply now in every day life so I have implemented it back into my life. When we first moved in we were still learning a rhythm and we ended up not using fresh food which meant it went off and we had to throw it away, which is such a waste. So when we plan our meals for the week now we also check what we still have in the fridge and freezer and what dates they go off. Then we make sure we use the food before the due date so that we don't waste the food anymore.
This doesn't just apply to food as well, we had lots of random house decorative bits which didn't have a home for a while and rather then getting rid of them we have rotated them round the house until we found a room where we liked them. Its so easy to chuck something away because it doesn't suit your theme only to need one a few months later and end up buying it again.
- Never impulse buy for the house
I love buying items for my house like most people and going into Home Sense or Dunelm can be really hurtful for my bank balance, I like to go home shopping with Cal because he does stop me going crazy for stuff that we don't need and don't have room for. Home stuff can be really expensive so I try and really think about what I want for the house and stop myself impulse buying. If I find something that I really like but it is super expensive, I like to sleep on the idea of spending that much money on one item. You can get into the hype of 'I need to buy this now, it won't be here tomorrow if I change my mind' but I have come to believe that if I return to the shop and the item is still there then I was meant to purchase it.
- Treat Yourself
This one may sound strange in this list but when you have been really good for a long period of time you deserve a treat. Me and Cal have the occasional take away when we have cooked dinner for the whole week because it gives me a night off from cooking and its something a bit different. If we don't have a take away we sometimes go out for date night instead and again its just a little treat for our hard work. Just watch they become too much of regular thing!
I recently brought back to life a old set of garden chairs and a garden table which my parents have had for quite a few years. It was unloved and a faded light brown colour which didn't look any good. Annoyingly I didn't take any photos of the table before I started work on it but alas I am not god...
I really wanted a garden table set for my royal wedding party as I knew it was going to be a lovely day and my parents had given us this set all the way back in summer last year so it was about time we got it looking up to scratch.
The set had been sitting in our garden since last summer so you can imagine how horrible it looked and felt so the first step was washing the chairs and getting rid of all the spiders and cobwebs. Not the most glamorous job but I had to make the wood ready for painting.
The second step was painting the set to make it look brand new and Cal and I decided to choose a dark brown colour which would wear well on the wood over time and cover up the light faded colour. The dark colour makes the set look brand new and the paint I used was the Dulux Woodsheen Stain and Vanish in Golden Teak. Because we used a stain and vanish the colour on the table should withstand any weather but we will be smart and house the set in the garage during the winter and when we aren't using it.
To complete the garden set I wanted to buy some bright seat cushions to make the set really stand out in the garden and I was originally looking for bright green cushions and then one day my mum found this crank handle parasol and cushions separately in our local B&M and rang me to tell me she had a surprise.
So herself and my dad came round one Friday with this parasol and cushions and set it all up for me ready for my party the following day and I think it looks banging all together.
This DIY job was incredibly cheap (for me hehe) since the vanish only cost £15.99 from B&M but I have found it cheaper on eBay and a parasol and cushions aren't a necessity for this garden set so the total for this DIY can be £15.99.
For reference the garden parasol was £29.99 and the cushions were £6.99 for a set of two. Trying to find anything you have bought from b&m on their website is a struggle so I have found some similar alternatives.
The total for this DIY project including the gifts from my parents totals at £59.96 which is still cheaper from most good garden tables right now so still a bargain of a DIY, especially when it means you have recycled something that would have just gone in the bin.
I recently felt like a robot living my life day by day and not enjoying my life. This has made me want to change my outlook on life and be more present in my everyday.
I am trying to stick to these 6 things that will help me be more positive.
1. Leave your phone alone
My old work had a number of group chats which all took over my life and pinged all day every day, I am learning to leave my phone in my bag while I'm out so I can enjoy what is happening around me. I was always getting told to put my phone away so now I don't let it rule my life. Its much more peaceful.
2. Look for the positives in things
I've been letting my bad mood ruin my days off and now I am starting to think positive about everything. Its easy to focus on the negatives in life but its more important to focus on the positives around us.
3. Make plans for something to look forward to
Being too busy to life your life is the worst. Making plans, catching up with friend and enjoying life is what it is all about.
4. Get out in the fresh air every day
I love going on walks in the summer and the winter, it calms and relaxes me and iis great to do with another person or by yourself. It gets you out of the house and into the sunshine and that can make all the difference.
5. Every day is a brand new beginning
It doesn't matter what has happened yesterday every day is a new day. We have a chance for a new start 365 times a year so take that chance and make each day count.
6. Watch the world around you
Magical things happen everyday and everywhere so take in what is happening around you and live in that moment.
Wasn't the royal wedding just gorgeous? It was better than I expected and everything I wanted it to be. I have to honest I wasn't the biggest fan of Meghan before the wedding but seeing them two together and looking so in love, I'm a big fan now. She looked absolutely flawless.
As soon as the wedding was announced 6 months ago I decided I wanted to have a wedding party at my house because I missed William and Kate's wedding because of work so nothing was making me miss this one. Callum did make fun of me for all the effort I put into the food but it was my first party in my new house!
For food I over bought and stocked up on savory and sweet snacks. My savory side of the table included sausage rolls, cocktails sausages, scotch eggs, bread sticks and dips, hot cross buns and cherry scones. All the good food you can imagine! Then on the sweet side included jam tarts, chocolate fingers, cherry bakewells, viennese whirls, jammy dodgers, short bread and party rings. I did over buy on the food but you never want to run out of food, Callum is very happy with the left overs he has now for lunch.
Before the wedding started I prepared all the food for 11 which was when everyone was arriving and I think my spread looked pretty impressive if I do say so myself. Once everything was ready for the party I finally got ready and dressed, probably too dressed up to watch a wedding on the tv round my own house but any excuse to get dress up am I right?
Then it was wedding time! The girls all came round for 11 so we could watch all the guests arrive at the church and boy was David Beckham representing. Both Callum and I have a crush on him but his is probably bigger than mine! The girls from the Suits cast looked absolutely amazing and even though I have never watched an episode in my life, I knew exactly which girls they were because of their amazing outfits and presence. My favourite outfit of the day has to be Amal Clooney in her amazing yellow Stella McCartney dress, she was the embodiment of class.
Another dress which caught my eyes straight away and was totally up my street was Abigail Spencer from Suits who looked stunning in her blue and white polka dot timeless dress by Alessandra Rich.
When Meghan arrived she looked absolutely stunning and seeing her looking so beautiful and elegant made me fall in love with her. Her dress was so simple yet elegant and stunning at the same time, perfect for her. The ceremony was just absolutely perfect (except for the super long speech from the american priest) and I loved how untraditional it was. Watching the way Harry looked at Meghan throughout the whole thing was so spell bounding you could tell how in love they both are and it is so romantic.
Once the wedding was over it was time to get my shorts on and get them sun rays from my garden. We all ended up having a sun bathing sess in my garden and continued pigging out on food.
I am so happy for the couple and seeing their wedding is making me so excited to plan mine and Callum's big day whenever we end up having it.
Previous wedding posts
This summer I am planning on overhauling my life and basically sorting my shit out. This year has taken me on a roller coaster and it is only the fourth month in so I am expecting big changes this summer and I will make them happen.
# Get a new job
My work life has changed dramatically this year as you all know now and not for the good so my main aim this summer is to get a new job. As much as I love retail I really do think I need a change of environment and surroundings. Something closer to home with less stress would be the ideal situations so fingers cross something that ticks them boxes comes up.
# Become more fit
I don't really care about losing weight and going on a diet, my plan is to tone my body and become more fit in general. Although since moving out my eating has become so much better and I am learning to cook something new everyday, I still have weeks where my eating is terrible especially if I am working long hours. I am planning to join the local gym with Cal in the next month or so which will be really good for me, I used to go gym nearly every day when I first left school as a hobby so I can see myself getting really into it again.
# Grow my hair
I have had short hair since 2015 now and I think it is about time I went the other direction and grew my hair (if I can) I have been trying to grow my hair since I was 16 and it would never grow past my boobs so I ended up giving up and going for the chop. Now I am ready to try again and hopefully grow my hair long and put more bleach in the ends so my dip dye starts higher in my hair. This is how I hope to have my hair soon...
# Finish off the bedrooms
We are nearing a year in our house now and we still haven't finished everything we would like to because we aren't made of money and life gets in the way. We still need to get built in wardrobes in the master bedroom and once that is done we can get rid of all the rails of clothes in my little room and turn it into my blogging/beauty room. Once that is complete I think my blogging game will become stronger and more routined.
# Fill up my cooking book with recipes
Like I said my cooking skills are getting better with every Mary Berry cookbook I read (she is my gal) and everything that I really like to make I write up in my own little cooking diary. It has four different colours on the pages so I can separate my cooking lists, slow cooker recipes, recipes for dinner and baking recipes. I love filling in this book (because I have no life apparently) and get wait for it to be full.
# Get the garden started
My garden is a blank space at the minute and I really want to make the space into something beautiful and relaxing so in the summer I can sit in my quite place and read a book or do some gardening. I plan to dig out all the plants in my front garden and start from scratch and decide what me and cal want to have.
# Visit another country
Lastly I really want to go on a holiday aboard this year and get out of England. I have some ideas in the pipe line with my family to have a big group holiday but if that doesn't work out, Cal and I will definitely go somewhere by ourselves. Maybe a weekend in a city or a week by a pool in a cheap hotel in Spain. My ideal holiday would be Benidorm but no one shares my love of it :(
I never talk about anything too heavy on my blog because I want this space to be filled with happy content, nobody likes a debbie downer do they. This is how I have been living my life recently, going along with the bad stuff and hoping it will work out in the end so that my life doesn't look like a pile of rubbish to anyone on the outside.
I should have known I would crack after a while. I lasted a good month of ignoring the bad and focusing in on the good areas of my life. Then the bad started to effect my home life and that's when it all had to stop.
I made the biggest decision of my life this week and took redundancy from my job. It was a hard decision to make and it took a lot for me to finally do it. If I didn't have the support of Callum or my family I wouldn't have had the courage to it.
A lot has changed in my work life in the last 6-8 months, some for the good some for the bad and it has taken a lot out of me. I have always been a laid back person who just got on with life and had fun doing it, recently I became emotional about the smallest of things and wasn't myself anymore. My work life took over my home life and I wasn't okay with that. It also didn’t help that my new store was an hour away from my home so it made my days even longer and when I did 12 hours days, I just became a zombie.
It all came to a head when I visited an old friend of mine who I used to work with, this person had help me get to where I wanted to be before it all went wrong. I got so emotional talking to this person about how I was feeling, this was the wake up call I needed to get out.
Luckily because I was in a new role I still had the opportunity to take redundancy, I now have time to properly look for a new job that makes me happy and gives me a decent work/life balance.
I haven't seen my friends or spent time with my family in what feels like months and I'm sad that I let it get to that stage. I was too wrapped up in trying to sort out my work life that I ignored my personal life, I couldn't split myself enough to be everywhere I wanted.
I have been working since I was 16 and worked so hard to climb the ladder at work to become management, so talking about taking redundancy was a no brainier for me. I love to work and with a new house to pay for I wasn't going to let myself be jobless for any amount of time but I have had to be a little selfish and put my happiness first this time around.
Right now I am enjoying the sunshine, spending time with friends and family and doing things that I enjoy. I have dug out my book I kept putting off finishing because I didn't have any time and I am full of ideas for my blog because my head is free.
I am on every job site that exists right now and I am going to go to my local agency to meet with recruiters who might have a new path for me to down. I have loads of experience in retail management but I think I want to move into office work now with a Monday to Friday week so I can spend proper time with Cal and my family who all work Monday to Friday.
While I am looking for my new job I am going to spend a lot of time getting myself back on track and try to figure out what I want to do with my life. I've never felt so unimportant and unaccomplished in my life but I did what I had to do and I already feel so much better.
Now I've had my rabble and got my feelings out it time to get back to happy posts! I have a lot planned in the next few weeks which I'm excited about including a Royal Wedding party at my house next Saturday!
I should have known I would crack after a while. I lasted a good month of ignoring the bad and focusing in on the good areas of my life. Then the bad started to effect my home life and that's when it all had to stop.
I made the biggest decision of my life this week and took redundancy from my job. It was a hard decision to make and it took a lot for me to finally do it. If I didn't have the support of Callum or my family I wouldn't have had the courage to it.
A lot has changed in my work life in the last 6-8 months, some for the good some for the bad and it has taken a lot out of me. I have always been a laid back person who just got on with life and had fun doing it, recently I became emotional about the smallest of things and wasn't myself anymore. My work life took over my home life and I wasn't okay with that. It also didn’t help that my new store was an hour away from my home so it made my days even longer and when I did 12 hours days, I just became a zombie.
It all came to a head when I visited an old friend of mine who I used to work with, this person had help me get to where I wanted to be before it all went wrong. I got so emotional talking to this person about how I was feeling, this was the wake up call I needed to get out.
Luckily because I was in a new role I still had the opportunity to take redundancy, I now have time to properly look for a new job that makes me happy and gives me a decent work/life balance.
I haven't seen my friends or spent time with my family in what feels like months and I'm sad that I let it get to that stage. I was too wrapped up in trying to sort out my work life that I ignored my personal life, I couldn't split myself enough to be everywhere I wanted.
I have been working since I was 16 and worked so hard to climb the ladder at work to become management, so talking about taking redundancy was a no brainier for me. I love to work and with a new house to pay for I wasn't going to let myself be jobless for any amount of time but I have had to be a little selfish and put my happiness first this time around.
Right now I am enjoying the sunshine, spending time with friends and family and doing things that I enjoy. I have dug out my book I kept putting off finishing because I didn't have any time and I am full of ideas for my blog because my head is free.
I am on every job site that exists right now and I am going to go to my local agency to meet with recruiters who might have a new path for me to down. I have loads of experience in retail management but I think I want to move into office work now with a Monday to Friday week so I can spend proper time with Cal and my family who all work Monday to Friday.
While I am looking for my new job I am going to spend a lot of time getting myself back on track and try to figure out what I want to do with my life. I've never felt so unimportant and unaccomplished in my life but I did what I had to do and I already feel so much better.
Now I've had my rabble and got my feelings out it time to get back to happy posts! I have a lot planned in the next few weeks which I'm excited about including a Royal Wedding party at my house next Saturday!
First up I have been obsessed with using these Radox shower gels which I have talked about recently here, they are only one pound which is so good and they come in so many different scents. I am currently using the Pink Grapefruit and Basil scent which smells so refreshing and we also have the Mandarin and Lemon grass scent and the Eucalyptus and Citrus oil scent which both smell so amazing, The Eucalyptus gel smells like cleaning products but in a good way and the Mandarin gel smells like lemon sour sweets. These are great shower gels to use first thing in the morning to wake yourself up because they are so refreshing and relaxing you use.
Once I am all clean I then wash my mop which gets greasy quite easily recently so I have gone back to using the Pantene Prov Colour Protect shampoo which leaves my hair very soft and light after I have used it. I have really thick hair so a shampoo which leaves my hair feeling lighter makes styling my hair so much easier.
Lastly once my body and hair are clean I then wash my face so that any residue from the other products is washed off my face and I have been using the L'oreal Fine Flower Cream Gel Wash with my manual cleansing brush. I love my manual cleansing brush and use it everyday with one of two cleansers, my shower cleanser is the L'oreal one and my main bathroom cleanser is the Sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser which is nearly running out because I use it so much. I hardly ever finish a skincare product as I tend to mix things up quite a big so to nearly finish a cleanser is big for me.
Anyway back to the point I have two cleanser brushes one for each bathroom because I am two lazy to run between the rooms... You can buy them in Primark for 2 pound so definitely worth a try. I think once you go cleansing brush you don't go back, my skin does not feel as clean if I use anything else.
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Since it looks like we wont be getting sunshine anytime soon in England I am gonna need to fake my glow some other way and thankfully I have some products in my stash that do just that. I am tired of being pale and wrapping up and so I looking forward to going outside without a coat and not having my makeup end up all over my coat rather than on my face.
Starting off with skincare I find using Origins GinZing moisturiser and the Clinique Prep Start eye cream leave my skin feeling and looking super healthy, it also creates a great base for makeup when I want a super dewy look. They are both moisturising products which are light weight and easy to work together and with my makeup.
Sticking with the skincare I love using the Dove Summer Glow Moisturizer to hydrate my skin as well as give me a really beautiful golden tan. I am not the best at applying tanning products but with this moisturiser you really can't go wrong. You just apply the moisturiser to your skin after a shower or bath and the more product you apply the more tanned you appear. I normally apply a thin layer to my skin on a daily basis to build it up gradually and then when a need a quick tan I just apply a large amount. This exact bottle as well is only sold in B&M stores for 2 pound so make sure you don't buy the new smaller tubs that are more expensive!
Now that my skin is glowing I need a glowing face, my two favourite bases to use for good glowing skin are the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation in Ivory and the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation in Vanilla. Bourjois is my more natural glowy skin base where as the Rimmel foundation is my more tanned bronzed base for when I have a real good tan. Both foundations give me a great base which lasts all day and doesn't dull during wear. I like to match my concealers when I use these foundations so when I wear the Bourjois foundation I pair it with the Bourjois Radiance Reveal concealer and when I wear the Rimmel foundation I pair it with the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer. The Rimmel concealer is super weightless and light coverage and good for when you don't really need to wear a concealer but feel weird not applying it where as the Bourjois concealer is super high coverage and really brightening at the same time.
Lastly to add more glow to my base I still love to use the Tanya Burr Skin Illuminator and the Loreal True Match Highlighter in Golden Glow. I have spoken about these two products many times before and you know I love wearing these underneath my foundation as an all over natural glow or on the tops of my cheekbones for a stand out glow.
I am so ready for the Spring time now after this horrible weather we have been getting so I have been getting all my Spring makeup out of my draws so I am ready for the sun. What new Spring products do I need in my life?
I love inviting people round to my house and hosting people whether its for a hour or for the night. I don't know where I have got this from but since having my own house I have developed a lot of house pride which I think everyone gets once they own their own place. I use any excuse to make people come round my house now so that I can play host so I thought Id take you through what I like to do before someone comes to stay.
One thing I love doing when someone is coming over to stay is make the bed with a fresh bed sheet, obviously tidy the spare room and then close the curtains and turn on the fairy lights. Whether it is sunny or in the middle of winter I think a dark room with fairy lights look so much more appealing. I want to make the bed look really appealing for the person because I know it isn't always nice to spend a night in someone else's bed.
I have got into the habit of leaving fresh towels folded on the end of the bed in the spare room because even though the people who stay over are mainly family members and properly wouldn't care about using the same towels, it is nice to have a fresh one. I also don't want my guests to have to ask for a towel. I am planning on replacing all of our towels soon so that they all match and match the bedding so it looks more pretty all together, sad I know.
On the night stand beside the spare bed I like to leave everything my guest could possibly need, a tooth brush in case they have forgot theirs, a empty glass and a new bottle of water in case they get thirsty in the night and don't want to go roaming round my house, a pair of fluffy socks which are very important during the winter (we are lucky our whole house is covered in carpet so we don't feel the cold too much (but some people don't like showing their feet which is where the socks come in) and a few hair bands because I know what it is like forgetting a hair band and sweating during the night with your hair stuck to you.
Because I love bath and shower products I have a huge collections that I spread across both bathrooms so when people stay over I like to leave out my mini shower gels and scrubs so that if they have a bath or shower they have something to use. Can you call it a shower if you haven't used a shower gel?! I also like to leave cotton pads out for our female friends to remind them to take their makeup off because I know how much they will regret it in the morning if they forget.
Whenever people are staying over at my house I like to stock up the fridge and cupboards, half of the time I cook a proper meal for my family and friends and the other half we get take away depending on whether I have been to work or not but I find the snacks and drinks are the most important. I know what it is like to get the munchies during the night so I like to have little snacks that people can take up with them to bed in case they do get peckish (we've all been there) and a mixture of drinks so people have a choice. I know alcohol isn't everyone's cup of tea and I am not a big drinker myself but whenever we have friends or family round we always get something to put in the fridge whether it is a bottle of wine or a crate of beer. Even if we don't drink it ourselves it is there in case our friends/family want it. We also have mason jars with little chalk boards on so we can write our guests names on the jars which goes down a treat.
Now I'm not saying I am the most amazing host in the whole entire world and that I do all of this every time someone comes over because I'm human and I work a lot but when I do these things, you can tell people really appreciate it and it gives them a rest from doing it themselves at home.
When I lived at home the most technical meal I could make was dinosaurs and potato waffles which is still a favourite of mine for lunch or when I am ill but I did need to expand my skills. I looked online, bought a few cook books and searched from some recipes on Pinterest and now I have a list of meals which I like to rotate as well as a few more time consuming meals which Cal and I love and which don't take my whole night to make. I am currently traveling an hour back and forth to get to work so quick and easy meals where I don't have to do a lot are my favourite at the minute.
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| The ingredients in the dish ready to go in the oven |
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| The finished product with peas and gravy |
Roasted Sausages and Potatoes
This is a really simple process meal which tastes so good and you can basically put anything in it. What I do is get chopped up carrots, onions and peppers, cut some baby potatoes in half and some sausages all in a bowl together, pour two table spoons of oil over the mixture and season with salt, pepper and thyme leaves and mix it all up so that everything in coated. You then pour this into a oven proof glass dish with your sausages on the top so that they cook thoroughly and put in the oven for 30 minutes (gas mark 6). You then take it out of the oven, mix all the ingredients around pouring in a pork stock cube and then returning to the oven 20. Add the gravy onto your plate and you are done.
Apart from the prep which you can do in the morning before you leave this is suck a easy meal to make and you can spend time with your family or have a bath while it cooks. If I have the time I do like to make peas and broccoli separately so that there is even more veg in the dish.
Toad in the Hole
Contrary to popular belief toad in the hole is one of the easiest meals to make and it is the side dishes that make it more complete. To make the toad batter all you need is 2 eggs, 1 cup of plain flower and 1 cup of milk. Mix the ingredients in a blender and heat a deep tray in the oven with a bit of oil (gas mark 6). Once the tray is hot put the sausages on to cook until they start to go brown and then take the tray out to add your mixture to the sausages making sure your sausages are evenly spread out before putting the tray back in the oven. You then leave the tray in the oven for 30 minutes making sure not to open the oven door otherwise the toad wont rise. Once the toad and sausages are brown your work is done, I normally boil some potatoes and carrots while the toad is cooking and just before the toad is ready to come out I drain the potatoes and mash them with some milk and butter.
I find with this the more options you make the more work you have to do but if you keep it simple it isn't much work.
Herby Baby Potatoes
I love making these to add to a meal which is a bit boring or if we have had a lot of chips the previous week, they are also really easy to make with minimal effort. All you need to do is boil a bunch of baby potatoes on the hob until they are soft, while they are boiling you can make your herb sauce. I start with a couple of table spoons of butter which I put in the microwave for less than a minute, then once it is in liquid form I add mixed herb, thyme and basil leaves. Once that is all mixed together I cover a glass dish with the sauce and then drain the baby potatoes, cutting them in half and then placing them in the glass dish. I then cover all the potatoes in the sauce and then put the dish in the oven (gas mark 6) and keep them in there until you are ready.
TIP the longer you keep them in the oven the crispier the skins will be which makes them more tasty.
Chicken in a Bag
This is one of my favourite meals because it is so easy to make and tastes so good! All you need is some Maggi So Juicey Mixed Herb seasoning and some fresh chicken. You need to pre heat the oven (gas mark 6) while you cut the chicken into small cubes and then place them into the bag. Once all your chicken is in the bag you pour the seasoning into the bag and shake it all about until all the chicken is covered. Then all you need to do is tie up the bag with the tie you get in the pack and then stick the bag on a tray in the oven for 30 minutes and you have tastey chicken for dinner.
TIP use the extra juice from the bag to use on any chips or potatoes you are having with the chicken to give them flavor.
Slow Cooker Curry
Another chicken recipe which is so easy to make and takes minimal effort. All you need to do is cut up chicken into smaller pieces, place them in the slow cooker with a curry sauce (I do use store bought to make it super easy for me) and set the slow cooker to low. I normally check on the curry every hour or so to stir the sauce and cook it for 6+ hours or until you get hungry. Stick some nan in the oven for 5 minutes and some rice and you have a tastey meal.
TIP don't waste your money buying expensive side dishes for your curry, aldi do an amazing range of sides for curry and all for such a good price. You can biy everything you need for 4 people for under £10.
Shredded Chicken
This is a new recipe that I have recently started making and it has become a favourite of everyone of my family and it is soooo easy. All you need to do is place your defrosted chicken in a slow cooker with enough chicken stock cube to cover the chicken with some salt and pepper to season. You need to cook the chicken on high for 3 and a half hours and that is it. You don't need to stir it or check on it and at the end the chicken is so soft and tender it fulls apart. To shred the chicken i tend to use two folks and basically use them to pull apart the pieces of chicken and it takes a few minutes depending on how many pieces of chicken you have cooked. I normally cook this for a roast so I do some roasties in the oven and some veg and it tastes so good. I've never thought I'd be able to cook a good roast before but this makes it so easy.
TIP cook a big portion of chicken and then use the remaining chicken for salads or wraps for the next few days. You can't beat fresh chicken.
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| Chicken in the slow cooker cooking in chicken stock cube |
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| The finish product with roast potatoes and carrots |
I am planning on trying a load more recipes this year and really expanding my cooking skills so watch this place for more recipes in the future.
PS Yes I know I do large portions, I am a growing girl who loves her food enough said.
Starting off with skincare Cal used my Glossier Wish List post to pick put some glossier products for me and he done good. He got me a set which included the Milky Jelly Cleanser, Priming moisturiser and the Balm dotcom. The balm has already made its way into my handbag and the moisturiser has really surprised me. I have used it for the last few days underneath my makeup and I have really like how it made my skin feel, my makeup has glided on afterwards. He also separately bought me the Solution exfoliating skin perfector and the Super Bounce serum. The Solution is a lot harsher than I imagined it would be so it is definitely a once a week skincare product and the serum is out of this world in my opinion. Yes it is my first serum in my life so I may just be blown away with the effects because I have never used one before but I am in love right now.
My sister got my a load of Kiko products to try and the first one which I am really excited about is the Exfoliating Lip Stick because you guys know how much of a problem I have with my lips so a stick scrub is right up my street. She also got me a Smart Fusion lip pencil in the shade 533 which is a nice deep brown nude which matches the matte lipstick she also bought me in shade Velvet Passion. This lipstick is so cool because it smells like chocolate and the top is magnetic and it is one of them things that you can't stop playing with. Lastly from Kiko I got the Volumeeyes+ active mascara in black which is great because it has a fiber brush with a thin tip which is great at getting in the corners baby lashes.
Finishing off the beauty section of this haul I have the Naked Heat palette by Urban Decay which is just beautiful. I have waited a while to try this palette and I have used it for the last few days since I got it. My favourite combo has to be He Devil with Scorched on top which looks so pretty. I love pinky red tones so this palette is perfect for me. I also got the Clinique Beyond Perfecting foundation and concealer in the shade 3.5 cream rose which I have been wanting to try for a long time. It is definitely a natural foundation which is what I like and the colour match is spot on so this will permanently be in my makeup bag for a while.
Moving onto non makeup presents Cal also got me the Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue which was one of the first perfumes he bought me over the years so we've come back full circle. I also got this lovely red Linea Cross Body Circle bag which is the perfect size for days out and a great colour for nights out with a all black outfit.
Lastly I received loads of books for my birthday mainly of Mary Berry who is my favourite human of the moment. I got two baking books which are 100 Cakes and Bakes and Mary Berry's Baking Bible and two cooking books which are Classic Mary Berry and Mary Berry Everyday. My last book is Stacey Dooley's On The Frontline With The Women Who Fight Back, I have been obsessed with Stacey ever since she was on Blood Sweat and T-shirts. I love everything Stacey is about and can't wait to read about her experiences first hand.
I make a good toad in the hole
I really should have started wearing eye cream in my early 20s
Looking young sucks no matter how much people say I will be grateful when im older
Zac Efron isn't going to find me and fall in love and that's alright
Wine doesn't taste that bad
I should have carried on dancing when I was younger, I could be famous by now
I am a bad photographer
I hog too much of the bed
Life is better with a snapchat filter
My fear of heights will only get worse as I age
I worry about things too much, I need to let go more
I'm stronger than I look
London will also be my favourite place
Also I will never be a Made In Chelsea girl
I spend way too much on food and clothes
But I'm also really good with money
I'm a simple girl
I'm a early riser and that will never change
I'm also a sloth past 6pm
I really don't care about leaving the house without makeup, bring it on
I will also cry at emotional films I can't help it
Don't bother looking at jeans unless their petit
I'm not weird for imagining myself in films and music videos when I fall asleep
I deserve that extra piece of cake
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME !
Following on with my wedding series I have collected loads of photos off Pinterest of hair styles which I would love for my wedding day. I love the look of short and long wedding hair so choosing if I want to cut or grow my hair for my wedding is a tough decision. Although I am loving having a short lob style right now I have always wanted long wavy hair for my wedding so who knows which way I will go!
Since I want a outdoor garden/field wedding I want the boho hair to match so my perfect wedding hair would be loose wavys/curls with some french plaits and flowers in. I don't want to look like I have put a lot of effort into my hair so I want it to look quite natural and low maintenance. The flowers are optional depending on if I feel too silly in them, but again it is my wedding day so who should care but me!
All photos have been taken from Pinterest so make sure that you go over to my Hair board and show some love to the original photo!
L O N G H A I R
S H O R T H A I R
U P D O S
Previous Wedding Posts
My Pinterest Dream Venue
My Engagement Story
Previous Pinterest Posts
My Pinterest Old Fashioned Kitchen
My Pinterest White Bedroom
Autumn Mad
How To Style | Ripped Jeans
Since I want a outdoor garden/field wedding I want the boho hair to match so my perfect wedding hair would be loose wavys/curls with some french plaits and flowers in. I don't want to look like I have put a lot of effort into my hair so I want it to look quite natural and low maintenance. The flowers are optional depending on if I feel too silly in them, but again it is my wedding day so who should care but me!
All photos have been taken from Pinterest so make sure that you go over to my Hair board and show some love to the original photo!
L O N G H A I R
S H O R T H A I R
U P D O S
Previous Wedding Posts
My Pinterest Dream Venue
My Engagement Story
Previous Pinterest Posts
My Pinterest Old Fashioned Kitchen
My Pinterest White Bedroom
Autumn Mad
How To Style | Ripped Jeans
I know now that it takes a long while to get your home exactly how you want it and since having my own home, I have found that you can have a quite plain boring room but by adding one thing, you can change it into an inviting space that looks like you have spent a lot of time making it feel like a home rather than a house.
One thing that I have recently found to really make a difference is photo frames, they are amazing at making a room feel more homely. We didn't have any photos up for a long time because we have never been big photo people, it was only when someone gave us a photo frame a few weeks ago that we had an excuse to gets some photos developed. I took this opportunity to go crazy with the photos to give us a lot of choice when it came to picking which photo we used and now the photo frames look like they have been their the whole time.
Another item that makes any room but especially bedrooms and living rooms look more cosy are pillows and throws. I love anything that reminds me of a bed so I love throws on the sofas because I can wrap up in them and pretend that I have my sh*t together. I find they really tie a room together and you can either match the theme of the room or completely go against it and make a statement with a bold pattern or colour. My favourite thing to do is changing the colour of pillows and throw during the different seasons because you can get some quality throws and pillow covers in Primark for not that much and then you never have to settle on one theme.
Something I have always been into is candles and my old bedroom at my parents house used to be covered in large candles and now I have my own home they are spread out evenly in the rooms. I find candles make dull shelves and tables look so much more appealing and especially when they are being used they make the space so much more cosy. Even Callum loves a good candle so there is one out there for everyone.
Another thing I have become obsessed with since having my own house is house plants. I can't say I am the best at keeping them alive but I love having them around especially in the bathroom and kitchen. Another thing connected to house plants is flowers which I think makes a room so much more homely and inviting, I wish I had an abundance of flowers in ever room but sadly again they never last long with me but I love them while they are alive.
Something that I know the girls will definitely agree with and the boys may object to is having fairy lights around the house. I love fairy lights and keep a set up all year round wrapped around our spare bed because who doesn't want some fairy lights in the background. At Christmas time as well I am allowed to wrap fairy lights around the banister, tv unit and lamp in the living room and the room is so cosy and lovely I never want to take them down. I know they aren't to everyone cup of tv but they can really complete a room.
Something I like to leave on the living room coffee table is a bowl full of treats whether that is chocolate or sweets whatever we have. I guess you could call me a feeder... I don't like people to go hungry so I always make sure there is something for someone so having a bowl of treats on the table encourages people to relax and take a handful while they kick back. They are also great when you get peckish watching tv and can't be bothered to move!
The last tip I have for this blog post is have big ass mirrors and canvases everywhere possible. I love big wall mirrors that take up the whole space. You don't have to worry about choosing a photo or painting to go on the blank wall and they are great at making the space feel bigger. I love mirrors in hall walls or on the top of stairs because they look great and most important, are great for outfit photos! Canvas are also great if you have one photo you and your partner really like which would look great blown up on a big wall, its choosing the photo that is hard!
One thing that I have recently found to really make a difference is photo frames, they are amazing at making a room feel more homely. We didn't have any photos up for a long time because we have never been big photo people, it was only when someone gave us a photo frame a few weeks ago that we had an excuse to gets some photos developed. I took this opportunity to go crazy with the photos to give us a lot of choice when it came to picking which photo we used and now the photo frames look like they have been their the whole time.
Another item that makes any room but especially bedrooms and living rooms look more cosy are pillows and throws. I love anything that reminds me of a bed so I love throws on the sofas because I can wrap up in them and pretend that I have my sh*t together. I find they really tie a room together and you can either match the theme of the room or completely go against it and make a statement with a bold pattern or colour. My favourite thing to do is changing the colour of pillows and throw during the different seasons because you can get some quality throws and pillow covers in Primark for not that much and then you never have to settle on one theme.
Something I have always been into is candles and my old bedroom at my parents house used to be covered in large candles and now I have my own home they are spread out evenly in the rooms. I find candles make dull shelves and tables look so much more appealing and especially when they are being used they make the space so much more cosy. Even Callum loves a good candle so there is one out there for everyone.
Another thing I have become obsessed with since having my own house is house plants. I can't say I am the best at keeping them alive but I love having them around especially in the bathroom and kitchen. Another thing connected to house plants is flowers which I think makes a room so much more homely and inviting, I wish I had an abundance of flowers in ever room but sadly again they never last long with me but I love them while they are alive.
Something that I know the girls will definitely agree with and the boys may object to is having fairy lights around the house. I love fairy lights and keep a set up all year round wrapped around our spare bed because who doesn't want some fairy lights in the background. At Christmas time as well I am allowed to wrap fairy lights around the banister, tv unit and lamp in the living room and the room is so cosy and lovely I never want to take them down. I know they aren't to everyone cup of tv but they can really complete a room.
Something I like to leave on the living room coffee table is a bowl full of treats whether that is chocolate or sweets whatever we have. I guess you could call me a feeder... I don't like people to go hungry so I always make sure there is something for someone so having a bowl of treats on the table encourages people to relax and take a handful while they kick back. They are also great when you get peckish watching tv and can't be bothered to move!
The last tip I have for this blog post is have big ass mirrors and canvases everywhere possible. I love big wall mirrors that take up the whole space. You don't have to worry about choosing a photo or painting to go on the blank wall and they are great at making the space feel bigger. I love mirrors in hall walls or on the top of stairs because they look great and most important, are great for outfit photos! Canvas are also great if you have one photo you and your partner really like which would look great blown up on a big wall, its choosing the photo that is hard!
What do you have around your house to make it feel more like home? :)
Glossier seems to be everywhere at the minute and I feel like the only blogger left to have not tried the brand yet. I can't go anywhere with a video, blog post or insta including a product from them. This has helped me remember which products I definitely want to try because they have been mentioned by everyone!
One of them products is the Milky Jelly Cleanser (£15) which seems to be everyone's favourite. I love cleansers a lot but I don't tend to try too many different products since I have my set favourites so adding this to my collection would be a big deal. I like that it seems to be a bog standard cleanser which does what it says on the bottle.
A product which gets a lot of mixed reviews are the Balm Dot Com lip balms (£10), some people say they are great and easy to wear where as other people say they are a waste of a product. Since I love using lip balms and have a large collection scattered around the house I would love to try them. I mean they are a lip balm where can they go wrong!?
Another lip product I want to try are the Generation G Sheer Matte Lipstick (£14), the name just draws me in. I love matte lipsticks but I also love sheer lipsticks but hate that they never last and smudge all over my face. Combining the two makes the perfect lipstick for me! I'm excited to try one of these as I can see these becoming my new everyday lip item.
Finishing makeup items with the Stretch Concealer (£15) which is another love or hate product. I don't like/need a lot of coverage around my eye area, concealers for me are more to cover up my tired eyes so this product which is light coverage and quite dewy sounds right up my street. I'm not a huge fan of the pot but that I could work with if the product was worth it.
Moving onto skincare there are two items which I really want to get my hands on! First up is the Super Bounce Hyaluronic Acid Serum ( £25) which sounds very scary but I have heard great things about. I have very dry skin as many of you know so a serum which hydrates the skin while you wear it sounds amazing and I keep saying I want to try out a serum so this may be the one.
Lastly I have the Solution Exfoliating Skin Perfector which gets rid of dead skin cells and reduces redness and helps problematic skin. Now I don't have problematic skin any more (thanks god) but I do have times now and again when my face is a pizza with toppings so this sounds great at preventing that problem and dealing with it at the time. I am a little scared to use it because a lot of people say 'if it ain't broken don't fix it' so I fear trying it will bring on a case of problem skin but I still want to see how good it is for myself.
Since I'm not made of money and buying all this would cost me £79 excluding the solution which is currently sold out so it won't show me the price I think I'll stick to using up my existing products and replacing them with Glossier when I need to restock. Hopefully soon I will be talking about a product on the blog!
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