So I have been a bit absent over here at the moment, that is due to some new projects coming up which I am so excited to be able to share with you all.

So those who follow me on my other social media accounts will know that I have recently resurrected my youtube channel after 4 years. It was something I was thinking about for a long time and decided to bite the bullet and film and upload my first video!

It is really exciting as I have so much planned not only for my blog but over on my youtube and a regular feature over on Probably Painful Playing's youtube channel.

I will be doing a mixture of everything over on my youtube channel from daily vlogs, sit down videos and daily routines. I am really excited to start this new adventure and I will be back to a regular schedule shortly.

I can't wait to start this new venture with you all and I really hope you all enjoy the content that I am having so much fun creating!

I am excited to see where this goes, Enjoy!

​S

When we are all locked inside the same four walls it is easy to get bored of the view. Couple that with nothing else to do and some online shopping and I decided to do a little home makeover. 

So as I have mentioned before that we recently moved and even though I am 90% happy with how the house has turned out but there is all room for improvement. When we enter the house there is like a little entrance way that I never knew what to do with. It has high ceilings and white walls but it just felt a little cold in comparison to the rest of the house. 

So I decided if i was to make over this space I was going to make it fun and colourful. 

First I ordered some prints from Junique.com and SHEIN I wanted to go down a quirky 70's style theme so picked some prints that would match. I had to add some nerdy touches and threw in some Harry Potter prints just to make it feel more personal. 

I wanted the space to be practical as well so decided to find a home for my growing shoe collection I found this shoe cabinet online at Studio and decided to get a grey to help diffuse the white walls a bit. The slimline design made it perfect for such a small space.  

The final touch was these hooks from Knobbles and Bobbles, I still wanted to use the space so adding some colour helped tick both boxes. 

It may not be to everyone's taste but I love it! It brings in a little bit off fun to our decor and serves a purpose. I have posted all the links below for anyone who wants to take some inspiration from my little makeover. ​

S

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Hooks
https://www.knobblesandbobbles.com/ceramic-bubble-hooks-8488-p.asp

Shoe Cabinet 
https://www.studio.co.uk/shop/en/studio/2-tier-shoe-cabinet-with-drawers-p-pln214959--1/71372652?swatchColour=Grey&searchTerm=shoe%20cabinte&pageView=&pageSize=40&orderBy=

Slogan Print 
https://www.shein.co.uk/3D-Slogan-Wall-Art-Print-Without-Frame-p-874222-cat-1955.html?scici=Search~~EditSearch~~1~~prints~~~~0~~0

Slogan Print
https://www.shein.co.uk/Slogan-Graphic-Wall-Painting-Without-Frame-p-1020841-cat-1955.html?scici=Search~~EditSearch~~1~~prints~~~~0~~0

Harry Potter Print
https://www.juniqe.co.uk/hogwarts-express-premium-poster-portrait-1858962.html

T-Rex Print
https://www.juniqe.co.uk/t-rex-bike-premium-poster-portrait-3368392.html

Aloe Print
https://www.juniqe.co.uk/aloe-vera-premium-poster-portrait-3358104.html

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We are living in a strange time right now with the whole world stuck inside it is very easy to get bored. So while you are stuck inside staring at the same 4 walls here are a few things I am loving to pass the time. 

One of the biggest shows of all time is Killing Eve, and it just so happened that the 3rd season dropped just as the lockdown began. There is nothing I love more than settling down on a Sunday night with a brew and a blanket to check back in with our favourite assassin. With a mixture of comedy and murder what more could you want!

The next lockdown obsession of mine is the one and only Tiger King on Netflix. I am sure this is not a new find for some of you but for those who haven't seen it what are you waiting for!!! This show was recommended so of course I had to check it out. Lets just say it was so addictive and I binged it in 2 days. It had everything! Just when you thought it couldn't get any more crazy it upped the level again. With everything from cute tigers to a murder plot, A singing mulleted man to a dramatic ending involving a jet ski this show had it all! 

The best thing to come out of this lockdown in the UK has to be Disney +. It dropped just at the right time and I must admit is amazing! Disney+ has everything you never knew you needed before from documentaries to classic disney movies to very disney channel show from your childhood it has it all! It is perfect for all the family and I am obsessed!

S

I have tried plenty of beauty box subscriptions over the years but the lookfantastic beauty box subscription is the best by far. 

I have always been a fan of lookfantastic they have a great variety of products on their website, brilliant offers and I am in love with their beauty advent calendar that they release every year. 

I have always wanted to try their subscription box service so decided to sign up for a 6 month subscription which totals £13.75 a month. I was impressed on how quickly they box came and even more impressed with the contents. Each box has a theme and the May edition was Botanical themed and was filled with products that are all natural and eco friendly. 

The packaging alone was gorgeous in a gorgeous mint green it was like unwrapping a present.  Inside you find the products and this month did not disappoint. Some of the products I had tried before and love like the Magnitone cleansing cloth and the Avant Moisture Surge overnight treatment but others I was excited to try like the Korres Hydra-Biome probiotic superdose facemask and the Eyeko eyebrow gel. 

What I loved more was that there was a booklet explaining the products to me and how to use them but also how much they were worth in case you wanted to repurchase any of the products. The booklet also had recipes for DIY facemasks, reviews on different products and skincare tips. 

The product value of the products inside this months subscription totalled to over 4x what the box cost making it excellent value for money. 

Honestly I loved everything about this subscription and would highly recommend this as a great gift for yourself as well as a friend. 

I am even more excited to find out what's in next months box!!!

​S

It's no secret that I am a makeup lover and I love trying new products but it seems that no matter what I try I find myself gravitating back to the same products and these have become some of my must have items in my make up bag.

I suffer from greasy skin at has been the bane of my life for so many years it has taken me so long to find the perfect foundation. I have tried everything from high end to drug store and have found that one of my go to foundations is the Maybelline Fit Me! matte and poreless. This foundation is so easy to apply doesn't feel cakey, lets my skin breath and is buildable for more coverage it has become a firm favourite. 

One of my other secret weapons in tackling oily skin is the Bare Minerals Mineral Veil powder. I tried this out in a starter kit but quickly fell in love with how it made me skin look so healthy and glowy with minimum effort. Combined with my Nars Laguna bronzer and Nars Orgasm blusher this is my everyday go to makeup look that can easily take you from day to night. 

It's no secret that I am in love with the Zoella x Colourpop Brunch Date palette it's a great palette  with some great shades including mattes and some amazing glitter shadows that can really transform your look, paired with my Maybelline Snapscara it makes the whole eye look pop. The Snapscara gives you a fuller look while making your eyelashes seem longer and natural and what makes it even better is the affordable price tag too!

My Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow was a new purchase that turned into a staple in my makeup bag.  It seems that even though I was born a natural brunette I was born with non existent eyebrows so the dip brow gives me the colour and shape that I have wanted without it looking unnatural. 

S

They do say that moving house is one of the most stressful things to go through in your life and they were not kidding!

We have always planned on moving but when we found a house that was perfect we decided to bring forward the move. It was something that we was preparing for a while so as we had to move in with parents temporarily and it gave us a chance to properly sort through what we had and decide what we wanted to keep and what we wanted to donate. 

Don't get me wrong it wasn't a chore it was more exciting to sort through all the stuff that we have collected over the years and the memories attached but on the other side we was excited to start a new chapter. 

So while the country was preparing for a lockdown we was preparing to move before we was stuck at home with the folks. So the house was upside down and the stress levels were high but we managed to move in amongst the beginning of a global pandemic. 

Our timing was perfect and a lot went wrong but we did it we landed and we are settled. 

Fast forward a couple of weeks and it seems like a distant memory and everything is sorted and the house finally feels like a home. 

Though the world is a scary place right now it always good to look at things from a different perspective, yes the move was stressful but it was worth the stress at the time for us to feel like a family and have our own space. We are incredibly lucky to have that and I know that there are people in the world who have very little. I just think it is important to keep grounded and remember what is good in your life rather than focusing on the negative and letting it ruin what would be a happy memory. 

​S

The time has come the sun has come out (well sort of) and I thought I would show you some of my spring wardrobe essentials that I live in during the sunnier months. 

This time of year is difficult to style as anyone who lives in the UK will know the weather can never make up its mind. One day we have sunshine and are whacking out the BBQ and the next day we are in the winter gear hiking through the snow.

My main spring style go to items are a maxi dress paired with sandals and a bag. I try and keep the tones neutral so it can mix and match and dress up and down depending on what I am doing. It's always good to have an option that can do both! I love this outfit as throw on a cardigan and it's perfectly styled for the cooler days and nights. 

But the weather isn't always predictable in the UK so even though the sun is shining it may not always be warm. One these days I reach for my trusted cropped high waisted jeans paired with a crop blouse and converse. This is so practical and is nice and light so you don't feel like you have to melt in the sun. I always pair this outfit combo with a pair of low rise converse these are so comfortable and can dress down any outfit.

I think my final essential has to be something slightly warmer, so my go to is a light weight knit (you don't even need to compromise on colour you can get away with all colours at this time of year). My favourite is this brightly striped number. It so comfy and can be paired with some simple jeans and converse and you have an effortless outfit ready for country walks and afternoon tea. 

S

Ok, so I know it has been a while since my last post. 

Quick life update, unfortunately with the pressures of work, uni and everything else the blog has taken a bit of a backstep until I got the balance right (which I am still working on).

So what's new? 

Well it has been pretty full on with work right now with the global pandemic and working for the NHS it has been very taxing work. Throw in a part time masters degree it has been rather difficult to find any time just for myself. 

With family issues, still learning to drive, sorting and moving house it has been a very busy few months. 

But I am back, and I have loads of great content lined up so watch this space!!!

Well that's all for now, 

​S

Yes as you guessed it I am going to approach the dreaded Christmas debate…
 
Real tree or Artificial?
 
In terms of that dreaded question I always lent towards the artificial tree it was a straightforward answer. Why would I pay for a real tree I had a tree that would last for a reasonable length of time and that can be tailored to my home and a tree that I knew would be with us so long it would be part of the family.  I pretty much developed this attitude from my mother we always had a artificial tree growing up and I didn’t really know anything different.
 
Well not until last year. Yes after dealing with my husband begging for a real tree for the last few years I finally caved in.
 
My only regret was that I hadn’t caved sooner. I know at the end of the day it’s only a tree but we only celebrate Christmas once a year so I do like to make it seem special. One thing that I was obsessed with was the smell it smelt amazing and it filled the entire room it was divine. It was like living in a Christmas movie as though our tree wasn’t uniform it was our own.  You must remember that real trees come in all shapes and sizes, which after having the same tree for the last few years was a welcome change.
 
In terms of decorating the tree I must admit I was worried as we have a lot of ornaments that it would be damaged however it stood the test of time nicely. I even decided that some other Christmassy scents were needed. I managed to get hold of some cinnamon and dried some oranges in the oven and to be honest it just made it all seem so magical. It made everything cosier, which I didn’t really know, was possible.
 
My opinion yes it can be a bit more expensive but I would never go back I am well and truly a Convert (much to my husband’s delight). To me nothing seems more Christmassy than a real tree!!

​S

​For me Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year. I love everything about it, the cosy nights in front of Christmas movies with the tree lights twinkling in the background to the excitement of the presents and seeing all the family. One of my favourite things to do around Christmas time is to visit the Christmas markets. Whether it’s the small local markets to the massive markets that take over cities I love everything about them.
 
I feel as an adult it can be easy to see Christmas as a burden but for me I love it! I really turn into such a big kid who sings the Christmas songs at full blast. The reason I love the markets so much is it captures the atmosphere of Christmas and no matter what age you can’t help but get into the Christmas spirit.
 
I have visited vast amounts of Christmas markets but no matter where I end up going I still end up having the same Christmas specials. For me you have to have a good old traditional German Bratwurst (to be honest it’s probably the only time of year I have one) and to finish it off with a cheeky tipple whether it is mulled wine or warmed mead (would highly recommend).
 
Christmas is all about food, friends and family and the markets capture this perfectly. You will find everything you want from Scandinavian bars serving traditional beverages to live music from local bands. There are stalls of brightly coloured gifts from all corners of the world and the food is just as exotic. You can find food from various different cultures from the Italian bakeries to a traditional hog roast there is something for everyone.
 
As much as I love the markets the one draw back is that I am not the only one who enjoys them. No matter which market you decide to venture to you will always find large crowds to accompany them. Even though I hate the crowds and find it can add a level of anxiety to a trip out it also adds to the atmosphere too. My tip, try and time your trip to avoid peak times these markets are normally open pretty late and throughout the week. Give yourself time and you will find it the perfect Christmas experience. 
 
I can’t wait for the markets to come around again this year for me it’s the start of the most exciting time of the year.  Enjoy yourself and have fun it’s ok to act like a big kid every once in a while.
 
S