Living room update/wishlist

So it wont be long until my new sofa arrives, very exiting! I've been wanting to replace our current sofa since we moved in. The current sofa was one I bought cheap just so we had a sofa to move into our first place but it was always the plan to get a new one when we could. When we (when I say we I mean I) picked out the new sofa, I decided that of course, it would need some new cushions. I also want to add a few more bits into the living room to make it feel less 'just moved into' and more homey. Especially as Autumn and Winter are just around the corner and I would love to have a nice cosy living room to snuggle up in. 

Naturally I went to Pinterest, I love looking around there for inspiration. I've created a new living room board dedicated to this little decor project. I'm actually being very restrained with this board and rather than pinning every single thing I think looks pretty, I've mostly just been pinning pieces I can actually buy. I like seeing it all in one place, its so much easier that way to see what will actually look good together. It's also much easier now that I am buying for a house I live in so you can picture how everything will look in the space, before it was hard buying furniture before we even knew what kind of place we were moving into. 

The theme is going to be a little bit shabby chic. I already have a TV stand and coffee table that I'm happy with, the new sofa is really going to be the new bit of furniture. Colour scheme I'm going for will be mostly neutrals with a little bit of duck egg blue. Again the furniture already in the room is white so they will pretty much go with anything.

Having said all of that I thought it would be cool to share some ideas/my wishlist for the living room update. 

One thing I found that is top of my wishlist are these scrabble tile canvases for the wall. I came across these and pinned them. However when I clicked the link I found that the item was now unavailable! ARGG! I cant seem to find them anywhere else either and I NEED these. I'm tempted to maybe try and DIY something similar but also a bit put off that idea as I know what my crafting skills are like! Maybe if I can find a tutorial somewhere...It would probably be a lot cheaper to do myself.

Another thing I love is this chunky knit throw from Dunelm. I love the knitted pattern and its nice to have something to get cosy under. I also found these knitted cushions, which I think would look lovely with the throw. There's one in duck egg and one in cream, of course I will have to have both colours! 

Another one from Dunelm is this lamp. I'm not 100% sure on this one yet but I do want another lamp and this one is gorgeous. Another lighting option is a Himalayan Salt lamp. These are said to have many benefits, you can read more about that here. Other than the benefits, these lamps look beautiful. My mother in law had a couple in her living room and they make the room look so cosy. It gives off more of a glow rather than a harsh light. I can only have one or the other due to the limited space so though decisions to be made! Which do you prefer?

So thats just a few things I've found so far. I welcome any more suggestions or ideas! And if anyone knows anywhere I can buy the scrabble tiles please tell me! Or even how to DIY some..I'll give it a go!

xxx

Why Autumn is the best season

While most people are mourning the end of summer I am super excited that Autumn is finally on its way! By far my favourite season. Here's a few reasons why...

Bonfire night

Cosy jumpers

Autumn leaves

Halloween!

Cosy nights in 

Hot Chocolate

Cute pets in Halloween costumes

Good TV!

Fireworks

Fresh air

Scary movies

Pumpkin carving

It's not freezing cold yet

Christmas is just around the corner!

Halloween treats

Scented candles

Autumn Fashion

No more hot and humid days

Toffee Apples

Long walks

Goodbye sticky summer weather, hello crisp Autumn mornings!

What are your favourite things about this fabulous season?

xxx

My current (budget friendly) skincare routine

My skin has been all over the place lately. I was pretty lucky through my teen years and didn't get many spots at all but boy I'm paying for it now! My skin type has definitely changed over the years and my skin care has also had to change as a result. Gone are the days when I could just use a bit of moisturiser. Over the last month or so I've established and actually stuck to a routine that seems to work for my skin. My forehead, the most problematic area, has pretty much cleared up! This is partly due to me just leaving my spots alone and not picking at them... pretty gross I know but we're all guilty of it! 

I'd seen a lot of hype about the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water so decided to try it out for myself. One thing that drew me to this product is that it contains no perfume or other nasty ingredients. This makes it perfect if you have sensitive skin like me. It's a really gentle product to use and it removes any make up residue really easily. It doesn't sting if you manage to get it in your eye, a big plus for me as I literally always manage to get everything in my eye. It's also great for removing eye makeup as it's not going to irritate sensitive areas of your skin.

Next I move on to toner, I'm currently using Tea Tree Toner Water from Lush. This also contains mainly natural ingredients. Tea Tree is antibacterial, which helps keep spots under control, which is the main reason I started using this again. This also contains Grapefruit water and Juniperberry water, these are rich in vitamins and also antiseptic. You can either use this product on a cotton pad and wipe, or you can spray it directly onto your face. I prefer to use the cotton pad method as I feel like this helps to wipe away and leftover cleanser or makeup. 

Next I use a tiny bit of Vaseline Intensive Care Moisturiser. I have quite dry skin on some areas of my face and this works much better than any moisturiser I've used that is specifically made for use on your face. For me this is the perfect balance, it isn't to greasy but it's not so light that my skin just instantly drinks it up. I only have to use a tiny amount and that gets the job done. It absorbs quite quickly and leaves my skin feeling smooth and soft. 

The last part of my skincare routine is to dab a bit of Newtons Labs Spot Zapping Gel onto any spots. I actually found this product in Home Bargains and decided to just give it a try. I've also found it on Amazon so you could purchase it online from there. I'll admit wasn't expecting great things from this product but It's actually pretty good. When used in combination with the other products in my skincare routine it's managed to clear up my forehead and also keep further breakouts under control. Although this isn't a magical product that will get rid of spots over night it certainly has helped mine to heal and has helped to prevent them coming back. As well as applying the gel to spots, I also dab a bit between my eyebrows every day as this is the most problematic place and this gel helps to prevent spots breaking out in the first place. After all prevention is better than treatment! 

And that's it! The whole thing only takes a couple of minutes which means I'm more likely to stick to the routine! I do this twice a day, in the morning before I apply my makeup and at night after I shower. I think, for me at least, natural products are the way forward. My skin just seems to get along so much better with products containing less perfume, colours etc. And if you're having problems with your skin it might be worth looking at switching out some of your current products for more natural options. It's worked well for me! 

xxx

My Favourite Films

I love nights cosy in with a good film and some snacks, cant have a film night without snacks! While I love definitely watching new films, there are some films that I could (and have) watch over and over again. Here are my favourite films...

Into the wild - This film straight up made me want to leave society behind and go and live off the land in the wild. I quickly got over that feeling (no WiFi in the wild) but this film still left me feeling inspired. While this film doesn't have the happiest ending (I wont go into it too much, no spoilers here!) its still an amazing feel good film. Definitely one of those films that kept me thinking about it for a couple of days and those are my favourite kind. It's so simple yet so brilliant.

Forest Gump - There was a time when I probably watched this film like once a week. I actually haven't seen it in a while, after all there is only so many times you can watch the same film over and over again, even if it is a great film. I love that this film has a bit of everything, which is probably why I managed to watch it so many times without getting tired of it. It's funny, inspiring, sad and happy all at the same time. Get ready to feel all the feels. I'm not going to lie though I kind of hated Jenny.

The Notebook - Of course I had to put a soppy chick flick in this list. I don't often cry at films but I cried at this one...loads! This also made me want to go back and live in the 40's, I just love the style back then. This is definitely a fab film to watch if you're having a girls night, just be prepared to feel all kinds of emotions.

The Polar Express - This is by far one of my favourite Christmas films and I just had to include a Christmas film in my favourite films. After all it is my favourite time of year! 

So there you have it, my favourite films. There are tons more that I love but these are my absolute favourites. Writing this has made me want to go back and watch them all again, I'm definitely due another film night soon! What are your favourite films and why?

Meet Tommy!

A couple of days ago I made a post about Teddy, our new kitten, who we adopted a few weeks ago. Well since then we have welcomed a new fury member to the family! Meet Tommy!

We picked Tommy up yesterday and he's already settling in well. Tommy is about 13 weeks old , a similar age to our other kitten Teddy. I decided that I wanted to get Ted a buddy as he seemed a little lonely and its good for him to have company while we're out of the house. It just seemed nicer to have a pair!

Most kittens are adopted from around 8 weeks and I specifically didn't want to get one so young as he would be a lot smaller than Ted and I was worried that he might unintentionally hurt a smaller kitten. So when I saw that Tommy was available I thought it would be perfect! He is a little smaller than Ted but he will soon catch up. Tommy was in a similar situation to Ted, the family he was living with had just had a baby and didn't want to take care of him anymore. Poor guy! But hes come to us now to be spoilt rotten!

The two have been getting on a lot better than I expected at this early stage. We have had some fights, mostly just play fights, nothing vicious. But they seem to both be getting used to having each other around. They are chilling on the windowsill together as I type, probably the most relaxed they have been since Tommy arrived yesterday. I'm sure they will be running around again causing chaos together very soon!

xxx

10 things I would tell my 10 year old self

In about 6 months I'll be turning 20, scary right!? Recently I've been reflecting on what I would tell my younger self, knowing what I know now. Here's what I came up with!

1. It's OK to get into trouble. I was always to scared to do anything slightly risky when I was younger because I was so scared of getting into trouble. I would like to let my 10 year old self know that getting into trouble is not the end of your life. You'll get over it and it will be hilarious to look back on later in life.

2. Experiment more. Stop playing it so safe! Wear blue eye shadow all over your eyelids and rock those neon leg warmers (they were so cool). Sure you will cringe when you look back a photos in a few years time but everyone needs that awkward experimental phase, plus you wont get away with those questionable choices when you're older so make the most of it!

3. Your boyfriend is not that important. We all know how heartbreaking it was when you split up with your boyfriend. Even though your 'boyfriend' was usually a guy who you asked out, then didn't speak to for 2 months before deciding that he just wasn't the guy for you. Yes at the time it was the end of your life but in 10 years you literally wont even remember all of your 'boyfriends' names.

4. Learn a skill. Since you're a kid and you have loads of time on your hands, learn something, join a club and get really good at something! Then when you're an adult you'll have a really cool talent, maybe you'll even be able to turn it into a career. I'm saying this because I am so bad at literally everything

5. Learn your times tables young lady! Yes its boring but you will thank yourself when you're older and you can actually count in multiples. This is a skill I have never mastered and to be honest I probably never will.

6. Its cool to have your own interests. This is something I'm only really learning now and its hard not to follow the crowd and try to fit in. But you will learn that differences is what makes everyone interesting and the older you get the more accepting everyone else becomes. So just do you! 

7. You'll always be shy and a little bit awkward, embrace it! While I am no where near as shy as I used to be I am still not exactly outgoing. When you're younger being shy is always seen as a negative and you're always pushed to be more outgoing. At the end of the day it's just a part of your personality and while you do gain confidence s you get older, its not something you 'grow out of'.

8. Your chubby cheeks will be with you for a few more years yet, live with it. I had chubby cheeks until I was like 15, even now they're there. I remember a time when I thought my puppy fat would never disappear. 

9. Don't force yourself to be 'into' things that you aren't 'into', give it time. I never really used to be that interested in things girls my age were interested in and it always made me feel a bit left out. I wasn't all that into beauty or High school musical or . But it's important to realise that you don't have to love everything that everyone else loves. And just because you're not interested in something then doesn't mean you wont gain an interest later on, I am now OBSESSED with all things beauty. 

10. Enjoy being 10 and good luck! The next few years are going to be emotional, hard and at times just plain confusing but everything works itself out in the end. 

*Insert embarrassing photo of 10 year old me here*  

Those eyebrows though!

Comment below with what advice you would give your 10 year old self!

xxx

Meet Teddy!

It doesn't feel like it but its been so long since I last posted! I seem to have been so busy and also so tired lately. This week though I've had a much needed week off work and managed to catch up on a few things, like sleep and cleaning! One reason I have been a bit busier than usual is earlier this month we adopted a new member of the family, no not a baby, a kitten. Meet Ted!

We adopted Ted from a lady who had just had a baby and wasn't able to take care of him anymore. He was 12 weeks old when we picked him up (although we think hes actually a bit older, either that or hes just a big cat!) Hes about 16 weeks now and he is growing so quickly! Why cant he stay a cute baby forever! 

He certainly has a lot of energy, which is great when you're playing with him, not so great when hes jumping around the bedroom at 5am. Like all kittens he is very curious and is always getting into trouble. He managed to knock the TV over, we now have a lovely crack across the top of the screen. 

He has tons of toys but seems to be more interested in playing with things like paper and bottle tops.

As we live in a flat he lives indoors. I wasn't sure about keeping a cat inside at first but after reading up a bit, its actually quite common. If you are considering having an indoor cat, you do need to bare in mind that they need more attention and entertainment than a cat that roams around outdoors. We play with Ted and he definitely gets lots of love and attention and he seems pretty content living indoors. If I do move to a house in the future, I will probably let him out to roam around but its not possible while we're living in a first floor flat.

Hopefully I'll be back with more updates on Ted soon! Follow me on Instagram to see more of Ted (@eloue8)

xxx

How I like to relax

We all love and need a bit of downtime in our lives. whether its going for a walk, pampering yourself or getting lost in a book, everyone has their own ways of relaxing and taking time out. I thought today that I would share the ways that I like to relax and the kind of things I like to do in my downtime. Most involve doing as little as I possibly can, I swear I'm not always this lazy!

My absolute favourite thing and my go to when I need to distress is a good pamper evening. I'm talking bath bombs, face masks, bubble bars and preferably chocolate. Not only does pampering myself relax me, it also makes me feel better about myself. Which is perfect when you're not feeling your best and need a pick me up. My skin always get worse when I'm stressing or tired so a bit of TLC is exactly what it needs. My favourite face mask and the one I'm currently using is the Lush Cup O' Coffee mask. My skin always feels fabulous after using this, I wrote a review for the mask here, go check it out! I also like to paint my nails, I don't know why but having my nails done makes me feel like I've got my shit together. Recently I have been using Avons Gel Shine polish in 'Mint to be' (how cute is that name!) It's a lovely spring time shade, not that the weather is very spring like at the moment!

Another way I like to get some downtime is by catching up on my favourite series. Currently I'm re watching Orange is the new black on Netflix in readiness for the new series. I'm trying to get through all 3 series in the next week so I'm all caught up, quite a challenge, even for me! There's something great about being able to switch off and immerse yourself in another world for a couple of hours. Sometimes I get a little to into it and start to talk about the characters like they're real people, its a bit weird seeing the OITNB cast all on social media glamed up, I'm used to seeing them in their prison gear and some look almost unrecognisable in real life. Anyway, I better stop before this post turns into me ranting on about OITNB! 

Listening to music is one of my favourite things to do. I love how it can change your mood and theres a song out there for whatever mood you're in. I always have headphones in, especially when I'm doing things I don't particularly enjoy, like washing up! It's also easy to do and doesn't really require any attention. Pair sitting a listening to music while relaxing in a nice bubble bath with a face mask and you've got my idea of relaxation. Just writing this is making me want to hop in the tub!

Let me know ways that you like to relax!

xxx

Avon SuperExtend Mascara Review

Avon isn't really a brand that I've ever really considered using. Probably because its not available to buy in stores (as far as I know) and it's not really talked about as much as it should be. My sister in law recently became an Avon representative and gave me a catalogue to have a look through. I've not shopped at Avon before and besides occasionally dipping into my mums makeup when I was younger, I don't think I've really ever tried any of their products. It's is the kind of brand that I always associated with mums and with a more mature audience, recently though I feel like they have been marketing towards a younger audience.

So I was surprised to find when flicking through the catalogue that there was actually quite a few products that I was interested in trying. As it happens the mascara I was currently using had pretty much completely dried up, heartbreaking I know. So I decided to steer away from the brands I usually go for and try something completely new. I know how to live guys. 

I went for the SuperExtend winged out mascara because I love the look of long winged out lashes. I love winged eyeliner as well but I just cannot get the hang of it, practice makes perfect I guess! Also one of my favourite mascaras is Maybelines The Falsies, I love the way this wings out my lashes so I was hoping for a similar effect from Avon SuperExtend mascara.

And I was not disappointed! This mascara is available in 2 shades, blackest black and brown/black. I went for blackest black because I like black mascara that is actually black and I don't like mascara that's a bit wishy-washy. Like I always say, go bold or go home! (I have never said that in my life) 

The product goes on well and isn't at all clumpy, its actually quite a thin liquid. The downside to this is it takes a bit of building to get thicker lashes but if you are lucky enough to be born with thick eye lashes then this wont be much of a problem. What this mascara is great at doing though is lengthening and as promised, it is pretty good at winging out my lashes. 

The wand is quite small with small bristles which means it is great for catching even your smaller lashes. I's also found it much easier to do my bottom lashes with this mascara compared to ones I've used in the past. Even if I didn't use this on my top lashes I would probably reach for this when it's time to do the bottom set. I like to keep my bottom lashes quite natural looking but since my lashes are blonde, I like to put something on there and this does the trick!

It lasts well and doesn't go flaky during the day and leave you with those super attractive black speckles under your eye. It's not waterproof but still has good staying power and isn't going to start streaming down your face the second your eye starts to water. 

The packaging, to me, looks a little more high-end and almost a bit more 'grown-up' than the mascaras I usually go for. Not that that's a big decider for me at least but still something to consider.

It can be quite subtle and great for everyday wear but also be built up to be a little more dramatic. This mascara wont be replacing my favourites but I'll definitely be using this in the future. 

xxx

Kitchen essentials for your first home

I've been moved into my first place now for a couple of months and am adjusting to independent life nicely. After all the preparation and worries involved in moving out its so nice to actually be settled in! One of the challenges of moving into your first place is knowing what you actually need to buy. When you live with your parents everything is there and there are things you use daily that you probably wouldn't even think about when purchasing things for your own home. I've decided to put together a series of essentials that you'll probably need for your first place. I'm starting on the most boring, yet one of the most important parts of the house...the kitchen!

The essentials:

Frying pan 

Pan set 

Knife set 

Cutlery (knives, forks, tea spoons, table spoons)

Plates

Bowls 

Glasses

Mugs

Chopping boards 

Baking trays

Oven proof dish

Cooking utensils

Can opener

Measuring jug

Pizza cutter (you could say this is not essential, but to me it is!) 

Kettle

Colander

Mixing bowl

Weighing scales

Obviously this list could go on forever, depending on what kind of stuff you like to cook. I'm not a great cook, but for me, that is more than enough to sort you out for the first few months in your first place!

I got the majority of my kitchen wear from IKEA. I would recommend going there when you have to buy a lot in one go. It's good value and everything is all in one place, which makes it a bit easier. 

Not the most exciting post but I hope you find it useful. Please comment below with anything I might have missed or anything you would suggest!

xxx

An awesome facial wash!

With all the exciting beauty products out there I feel like it can be easy to neglect the bare essentials. Which is why I've decided to share a new facial wash that I've been using lately. Well I say new...it's new to me! I was browsing around super drug and trying to avoid the make-up area...once I start putting make-up into my basket I cant stop! I ended up walking past the super drug skincare section and picking up one of their facial washes. I've used their tea tree wash in the past so this time I decided to try the tea tree and lemon facial wash.

I like to use a facial wash aimed at spot prevention because although my skin isnt to problematic, I do get breakouts around my forehead. I find that just regularly using a good anti-blemish facial wash and a few dabs of tea tree oil every now and then is usually enough to keep it under control.

This face wash is perfect for me. Tea tree oil is great as it has antibacterial properties to prevent and treat spots. The Lemon oil is to cleanse the skin of dirt, oil and other impurities for super clean skin. The lemon also smells lovely and feels so refreshing. I don't know if this is just me, but I always associate the smell of lemon, and just citrus scents in general, with cleanliness. However some lemony scents can smell a bit bleachy, which made me think twice about purchasing this, but as this is mixed with tea tree it doesn't smell to strong.

On to the most important part...how it makes my skin feel. Firstly I wanted to say that this works better for me than the Superdrug tea tree facial wash. Although the tea tree wash is great at clearing spots away, this one makes my skin feel softer and more refreshed. This also thoroughly cleanses my skin while still being gentle. I also find that this manages to remove most of my make-up, even pesky mascara, so I don't get out of the shower looking quite as much like a giant panda. Definitely will be repurchasing! 

xxx

Things to do this Summer

The lovely weather we have been having lately has got me thinking about plans for the summer. Since we don't seem to get that much sun in the UK I want to try and make sure I make the most of this summer, and make the most of my time off work. I have a week off in 5 weeks...not counting or anything. I've also got a week in July and a couple of weeks in August, wooo! Hoping for lush weather for those weeks but knowing my luck it will end up snowing or something. But I wont let that thought stop me making plans! Not all my plans involve sunshine anyway...some involve potentially being in pyjamas all day and lets be honest, they are the best plans.

SO here's what I want to do this summer...

Watch the new series of OITNB

Visit Thorpe Park again 

Do some baking

Shopping!

Go for walks in the evening 

Visit a new place

Start (and actually finish!) a few crafty projects

Visit London again 

Pass my driving test (Booked in June, EEEK!) 

Go and pick some strawberries

Eat the strawberries!

Spend more time with friends

Try and eat a (bit) healthier 

Get up early and go for a walk

Practice making bath bombs

Go to a BBQ 

Go swimming

Blog regularly!

Try and go out of my comfort zone (shouldn't be hard as literally everything is out of my comfort zone!)

Start and stick to a workout routine

It will be good to see how well I get on with this list, lets see how many things I can get ticked off! It will be good to come back and look at this list if I'm stuck for something to do one day. Hopefully it's given you a couple of ideas as well. Let me know your plans for this summer!

xxx 

Freedom Pro Brow Review

I only started filling my eyebrows in a few months ago and I really don't know why I didn't start earlier. The reason I started was because I dyed my hair a darker colour. My natural hair is blonde and unfortunately with blonde hair, comes blonde eyebrows! They didn't look too bad when my hair was blonde, they weren't great but not awful! Then I died my hair an warm amber colour and they just looked kind of  cold and washed out...so then I decided it was time to start filling them in. 

I started using a matt eye shadow to fill them in but it was a little dark so I only did it very lightly and couldn't really fill them in or shape them properly. So when I was out shopping with my friend (who is a little obsessed with eyebrows) I bought some brow powder. We were in Superdrug and to be honest there wasn't that much of a selection for lighter brows. I wanted my brows darker but I felt like a brown would be a bit to dark, not to mention that it would be a bit of a drastic change, going from blonde brows to dark brown. 

Luckily I found this brow powder from Freedom. I hadn't even heard of the brand before but it was super cheap so I thought I might as well give it a go! And well, I've used it pretty much every day since. I was actually surprised how good it was for the price and I feel like a lot of people wouldn't pick this up, simply because they would assume this wasn't a good prouduct. 

I find that you sometimes have to use quite a bit to get good coverage but this isnt a big issue. Saying that, it goes a long way, I bought this one around Christmas and as you can see I've barely made a dent. It also stays put, another thing I was really surprised about because most of my make up seems to wear a lot during the day. I think a main reason for this is because I walk to work and back but this prouduct seems to withstand the wind, rain and sweat. Pretty gross I know but my eyebrow area seems to sweat more than the rest of me, which makes the prouduct even more fabulous. 

They also have a great range of shades, which you don't always get with drug store brands, especially when it comes to eyebrows. There are 11 different shades to choose from so you'll definitely find a shade for you. Blonde is the lightest shade available. As well as the duos, they also have single pots of shadows. These come in the same shades as the duos but they don't have the lighter shade. I'll probably go with one of these next time as I don't tend to use the lighter shade in the duo. 

This prouduct is definitely worth a try and with a great selection of shades in both the duo and the single shadows, you'll find one to suit you. The duos are currently £3 in Superdrug and the single shadows are £5. Maybe you'll find a new favourite! 

xxx

My bedroom so far!

So we've been in our new place for a couple of weeks now and while there's still a bit to do, we're pretty much settled in now. So now that everything unpacked and in place, I can start thinking about what to do next! 

The room I'm most excited about is our bedroom, so that's what I'm going to show you today! This is the room as it is now, it looks a bit bare but there's still plenty I want to do here. I'm going for a shabby chic look in here.

This is my current 'dressing table'. I want to get an actual dressing table to go in this space pretty soon as this just looks messy! It would also be so nice to have it a bit more organised! I quite like this one from Argos. Its nice and small, I don't want anything to bulky as this isnt a massive space. I'm also a bit obsessed with white furniture, so it had to be white! It's not that shabby looking but I'll make it work. I'll probably change the handles, I'm not a fan of the silver ones, but that's easy to do.

this is the rest of the room. It was pretty hard to take a good photo as its so bright outside today! Not that I'm complaining, it makes a change from the constant rain we've been having. One thing we definitely need here is more cushions. As well as white furniture, I also have a bit of an obsession for cushions. 

Speaking of white furniture...I'm debating on whether to paint the bookshelf in the corner. I like it but I feel like it looks a bit dark, and as I'm planning on getting a white dresser and have a white bed I just feel like it would go better. I was thinking about painting it white and distressing it a bit and then sticking some nice paper or wallpaper to the back so it looks like this. I'd quite like a blue floral pattern on the back as I'm going for mainly blues and pinks in this room. What do you think? Should I leave it as it is or go for it?!

We also need a couple of bedside tables. I have one, you can just see it peeking over the top of the bed. This is the same colour as the bookshelf but I think we will probably end up getting  rid of this or using it in a different room and getting 2 new ones. 

I also have some lego dotted around this room as you can see...its my boyfriends and I'm hoping I can persuade him to move it into the spare room!

At the end of the bed we have a big blank wall. This wall is the longest and is the same wall that my dresser will be against. I really want to put something in the space at the end of the bed and I think something like this would look really nice. It actually looks pretty easy to do as well.. I would like to do it with a rectangle frame rather than a square, I'm not even sure where I can find big frames, any suggestions? 

I could probably buy something to go here but that's no fun! I also love a bit of crafting and it's nice to have a project to do. 

xxx

Sweet Potato Fries

So I have heard a lot about sweet potato fries lately and decided to give them a go. I am not adventurous when it comes to food, I could literally eat the same thing every day of the week. I also tend to eat a lot of pasta based foods, I mean pasta is great but its good to get a bit of variety. There is only so much pasta I can eat! 

I decided to give sweet potato fries a go and they're a new favourite! I love how they are nice and fluffy, almost creamy. They just pack a bit more flavour and a better texture than normal potatoes. And they are actually so easy to make. Trust me, if I can make them, you can make them. I once almost made a fire while boiling an egg. Heres how I make mine...

First you need to wash your potatoes, don't want to be eating dirt. I would use about 3 sweet potatoes for 2 people, this depends on what you're eating with them, the size of the potato and of course...how hungry you are! 

Cut your potatoes up into wedges. I usually do quite thin wedges. Be warned though that sweet potatoes are really hard to cut so you'll need a fairly sharp knife. I always end up jamming my knife into the potato and then not being able to get it out again so a thin knife is probably best!

Put all the wedges in a bowl, add some salt and pepper and olive oil. (or any other oil you fancy) If you're trying to keep them healthy then use less oil, but just make sure there's enough oil to coat all of your wedges. I'm quite generous with the oil because I like mine nice and crispy! Then stir everything around to make sure all the wedges are coated. 

Just tip them on to a baking tray and pop into the oven. I put the oven on about 200°C and leave them in for roughly 30-40 minutes. This is long enough for the middle to be fluffy and the outside to be crispy. You might need to leave them in for longer depending on how you want them but make sure to check them often so they don't burn. That would just be tragic. 

Then all thats left to do is serve and enjoy! I love them with BBQ sauce because thats also got a sweetness to it, the two go really well together. I had some earlier with a Quorn steak and both were delish! Definitely worth giving these a try if you haven't already, they're healthier than potatoes and they count towards your 5 a day! 

xxx

Our first place!

On Thursday we got the keys to our first flat! Since then we have been super busy and the last couple of days have flown by! We are just about unpacked now, there are a few bits to go up still but other than that it's almost there. Staring to look a bit more like a home now! I thought I'd share the photos I took when we first got there. Excuse all the stuff dotted around the place!

This is the front door (from the inside) there are 2  cupboards to the left of you as you walk in the door. 

This is the living room half of the kitchen/living area. It actually looks a lot smaller in this photo than it does in reality, that might be the bad lighting! (none of these have been edited, sorry!) 

And here's the kitchen! I really don't know what I was thinking when I took these photos, the open door is blocking half of the kitchen...anyway! I love how this room is nice and light, there's the big window next to the kitchen and then the 2 smaller windows in the living room. Buying curtains was a nightmare but more on that later! 

These two pictures are of the master bedroom. The first is the view you get as you walk through the door and the second is the wardrobe around the corner. Again this room looks a lot smaller in the photos and seems to look bigger in real life now the furnitures all in...weird! This is the first room you see as you walk in the front door.

This is the second bedroom. This room has been claimed by my other half as his 'games room' so we're leaving it as it is for now until we have the rest of the place sorted. We're going to be moving my single bed into here as well so it will also be a place for people to sleep if anyone comes over (or if I decide to kick Jayden out of our bed)

last up is the bathroom. There's not much to say about that really! I'm happy that there's a mirror already up in here, saves us trying to hang one! We have a few bits to go in here, like a bath matt and toothbrush holder but there's not much to do in here.

I'm so excited to be moving into our first place and cant wait to put our own stamp on this place to make it feel more like home. I'll be sharing photos once its all set up, we're almost there!

xxx

My favourite YouTube channels

I've been watching YouTube a bit more lately. I tend to go through stages where I watch it everyday and then stages where I just binge watch the videos I missed. It's usually the latter! There are some channels that I love to watch and always check first. 

SprinkleofGlitter- Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter is hilarious, she kind of reminds me of Mirands Hart. Her failed crafting videos are my favourite and always have me in tears (of joy). Watch this video of her attempt at making cake pops.One thing I love about her channel is that it is so real, because in reality not everything turns out the way it looks on Pinterest! She also does vlogs on her other channel featuring her mini me, Darcy who is adorable.

BitsandClips - I found this channel from watching Sprinkle of Glitter. Marie from BitsandClips is equally as hilarious and has not one but two adorable kids. She's the kind of mum who stays up until 4am crafting things for her kids Birthday. And that is just the kind of mum I want to be. I also love how she has such a positive outlook and attitude towards anything that's thrown her way. Another thing I love is how unprofessional her channel is, although I'm sure she spends ages editing, her videos just have a home video kind of feel and I prefer that to a fancy edited vlog any day.

Grav3yardgirl - Probably one of my favourite series on YouTube is Bunnys 'does this thing really work'. I love that she tests a range of different products and that it's not just all beauty related. She also has her own personal style and a love of creepy things and I love it. It's a channel that has a lot of variety and is a little different from the rest. Another thing I really like is how she doesn't feel the need to make herself look perfect for all her videos and regularly films while wearing no make-up and I think its great that she has the confidence to do that because I know I wouldn't.

TanyaBurr- Tanya is so bubbly and fun to watch. I love her baking videos and one day I might actually attempt one of the recipes, but for now I'll just watch. Her bakes look so good, I don't think mine would even come close! She films mostly beauty related videos but I really like to watch her vlogs as well. She also has a really cute puppy called Martha who makes appearances, if that isnt a good enough reason to watch then I don't know what is. 

So there are my 4 most watched channels. There's a few more that I like to watch but these are my go to channels when I sit down to watch. Who's your favourite?

A Busy Easter Weekend

Where has the 4 day weekend gone!? I spent weeks looking forward to it and now its nearly over, boooo! If only the weeks went so fast!

This weekend is the last one before we move into our first place...so excited! So it was a weekend of packing and dismantling furniture. It was actually pretty handy that we had a long weekend right before moving so we had time to get everything done. I also bought a cheap TV stand a while back which we've been sanding and painting. It's still not quite finished but its nearly there! I don't know why we left it to the last minute but that's how we usually do things! I'll do a post on the TV stand when it's finished, here's a photo of one of the doors...we're going for a shabby chic look. 

We did manage to get my room all packed up.I'd put off doing any packing until this weekend because I know I'll end up packing stuff I need to use and then have to unpack everything. It looks pretty empty now, the only things left are the TV and a mattress in the middle of the floor...I also have a small pile of clothes and my make-up bag, everything else is packed! It's not great but its only until Thursday so I think I'll cope until then. 

The rest of my room is now sat dismantled in the garage. Trying not to think about the fact that we're going to have to put it all back together (and carry it up the stairs) in a few days! Saying that though I am super excited to move. I remember when we were counting down the weekends to go and now its 2 days away! 

We managed to fit in a bit (ok a LOT) of chocolate eating as well...but hey we deserved it! As well as a load of other junk food, that is what Easter is all about. We made some mozzarella sticks coated with Doritos today and they were lovely. I don't want to even think about how many calories were in them, the important thing is that they tasted great. We had pizza Friday night and then had the leftovers for breakfast the next day. Well, I say breakfast but it was more like lunch by the time we got up. Cant beat leftover pizza for brunch, I had BBQ sauce and red onions on my pizza. yes, I'm a bit of a weirdo. 

Now I'm just hoping that the next 2 days of work will go quickly! 

xxx

Egg Hair Mask

My hair is thin, knotty and dry. It is literally the bane of my life! I'll admit though that I could definitely do more to help get it in better shape and looking healthy again.

Lately it seems to be worse than normal, I can not leave the house without my hair becoming a flat tangled mess. So last week I remembered the egg hair mask, yep you read that right!

It sounds gross and to be honest, it is pretty gross! But for the results you get, it's worth dealing with the gross, no pain no gain! And it is so so simple, if you want nice hair but minimum effort (don't we all) then this is for you...not to mention how cheap it is! Time to put the expensive hair masks down.

It's pretty simple, all you need is an egg and some castor oil. I use 2 eggs and this is just about enough to cover my hair. Mines pretty long so you shouldn't need more than 2 eggs. I also add in a bit of castor oil to condition my hair and add more shine. Just whisk it all together in a bowl and apply to your hair. 

The application process is messy and putting raw egg in your hair is the strangest feeling! I would recommend doing this over the bath, unless you fancy cleaning raw egg up off the floor. Then just put your hair up and leave for about 20 minutes. I usually go in the shower or bath while I'm waiting as the egg can tend to drip! 

Then just wash out, make sure you wash with cold water rather than hot water as you'll end up cooking the egg in your hair, you do not want to start scrambling egg in your hair, trust me!! After the eggs all washed out, just shampoo and condition your hair as normal. Just make sure you shampoo thoroughly to get any eggy residue out of your hair! And you're done! 

You can thank me later! 

Xxx

Body moisturiser for lazy people

Recently I started using Nivea in shower body moisturiser. I am am aware that this is not a new concept or prouduct and I heard about it a while ago but I never really tried it because frankly I thought it wasn't for me. But I was wrong. I don't actually use it for its intended purpose but I've found a much better use. 

let me start by saying I have very dry and sensitive skin, literally anything will set it off, I cant even sit on grass in the summer without ending up a big rashy mess...not my best look! It's not so bad that its a massive problem, I just have to be a bit more careful about the products I use. The one time it really does become an issue is when it comes to shaving. Shaving can irritate any type of skin, so when you have skin that comes out in a rash at the sight of a razor, you've got a problem!

I use shaving creams and they definitely help during the shaving process but afterwards I'm still left with super dry and bumpy legs. Far far away from the smooth legged goddess look I was going for! 

I found a forgotten Nivea gift set still unopened from Christmas (whoops) and inside was the Nivea in shower body moisturiser. I also happened to have no shaving cream, I usually use conditioner as a substitute as I always run out and ALWAYS forget to buy more. Shaving cream, while essential, is one of the less exciting products on my shopping list and often gets forgotten about!

Anyway...I decided to use the moisturiser instead. Good decision! 

As all shaving creams do, it helps the razor glide along your skin, to avoid any nasty razor burn (AKA my worst enemy). But, and this is the best part, as it washes/is scraped off, it leaves a layer of moisture. This is great because rather than getting out of the shower and applying moisturiser onto dry skin, your skin is kept hydrated throughout. Much better!

The only down side I would say is that you have to use quite a lot to cover everywhere as it doesn't foam up as shaving cream would. I'm also not a huge fan of the scent, same goes for all Nivea skin care really but honestly its not like it lingers around for ages and if you use moisturiser when you get out of the shower anyway ( I recommend you do) then that will more than likely mask any scent anyway. Of course that's just my preference and you might love the smell, so bonus if you do! 

As this product is made to be used as a last step at the end of your shower, its a good idea to leave the shaving to last thing. This is just to avoid washing off all of the prouduct before you get out of the shower. If you want to, this would also be good to use directly after shaving, if you'd prefer to use a shaving cream while actually shaving. And if you're lucky enough to have gorgeous skin then you might not even need to use a moisturiser when you get out the shower, meaning less time and mess. I'll definitely be using this from now on!

xxx