Sunday Summary #69

When are we going to see summer?! This week has just been windy, cold and raining! And hearing the weather report earlier this week will get colder :( I worked a lot of extra hours this week but didn't notice too much until this weekend when I was just so tired. Me and my boyfriend spent last night at our friends house with him and his fiancée and 10 month old and our mutual friend and her partner for dinner and a night in. I took Cluedo as we weren't sure if we were going to watch Eurovision, play games or just chat. Their baby is just so cute! I love children and its still so novel to hold a baby. However I am still perfectly happy to hand them back after a short while haha. I still feel so very young to have a baby and I want me and my boyfriend to be as stable as possible in all aspects. Our friend cooked us the nicest spaghetti bolognese ever! He only did it as he uses turkey mince and I agreed to try it (I only eat chicken and fish) and I really enjoyed it. He said turkey mince has hardly any fat and is so much healthier than beef mince and he used wholegrain pasta so with all the tomatoes, peppers, onions and mushrooms it was a pretty clean meal. My boyfriend made garlic dough balls which were heavenly but I only had a couple. Our mutual friend brought cookie crumble cheesecake which was a naughty finish to the meal topped off by plenty of alcohol we got down to some competitive rounds of Cluedo. I was too tipsy to even think straight and attempt to guess. We then had a hilarious hour talking about the upcoming wedding and hen/stag do's and then his fiancée tested us all for diabetes as she had it during pregnancy. I REALLY didn't want to as I am terrified of needles and blood (despite having tattoos!) my boyfriend held my hand haha while she did it. It wasn't as bad as I feared and my result was 6.2. Considering the cheesecake and cocktails I was happy as it should be below 10.

My week was the same old routine. I spent Friday on a naughty retail therapy trip but I did have to go to Matalan to return some items from my online delivery. I then found more to buy as always seems to happen! I made use of The Body Shops 40% off deal in store and I have traded my Nintendo DS in as I think I was a 3DS XL for my birthday. I never want anything for Christmas or birthdays anymore as I can afford most things myself. I have wanted an iPad for a while but my boyfriend has talked me out of it as I would probably only use it at home or on the odd travel trip and I don't have enough free time. I have my laptop for YouTube, iTunes, blogging, online shopping and the occassional Sims game and my iPhone for the occasion where I might play an app. If I commuted further to work it would be a better investment for me. Plus I always see the 3DS games for sale and know my DS Lite wasn't compatible. It seems a 3DS would be appropriate for my life and I used to love playing Mario Kart and whatnot.

My eat clean diet is still going so well and although I don't look like I've lost weight this week I know in the few weeks I have been doing it I have so I'm not too concerned. I started the 30 Day Shred today and although I will struggle to find time everyday to do it I will attempt it as often as possible. When I did it last year I really lost weight and toned up and I was eating normally. With the added eating clean it might help that I can't manage it everyday. It really burned today, I know after a few runs it will be easy and its crazy how quickly your body adjusts to it and your endurance goes up.
It really is so easy to change your diet and I am gathering photos of my meals and snacks so I can blog about it but there's not much to it.

 X Mini II 2nd generation capsule speaker £15.22 - Amazon here

I bought these for my holiday as now I have a new iPod its not compatible with any speakers or docks in my house. I'd seen these around but to be honest because of the low price tag thought they were rubbish! I started browsing for something to take away with the hope of something small and compact - enter the X Mini. It only took the endless rave reviews to realise I had seriously underestimated how powerful these would be. I was astounded when I connected it to my iPod and the quality was just ridiculous. I am so happy with these and I know I'll use them for so much more than being away from home. The price has slightly gone up since I bought them but I would pay full price for these.

 Stripey top - Primark 

I have several of these now and they'll be lovely for warm weather as I cannot stand those cotton vests, I feel so manly in them. The bows on the shoulder are cute and being loose will be cool.

 Dragonfly top - Primark

This top is so pretty when on but has a flare from the arm pit down but I can forgive that as you'll never know if I have a cardigan or jacket on and if I do take it off the top is sheer so you'd see I'm not actually that wide!

 Dragonfly cardigan - F&F at Tesco 

Mum got me this when she went shopping and its so pretty. I always need a little cardigan during the summer as I get cold so easily especially in the evenings and they're so handy and light to take around with you.

 Black top with monochrome bow - Primark 

Nothing can beat black with a touch of class. It looks so sweet on.

 Shorts - Primark

I've never been too much of a shorts girl but these are almost like a skirt as they are quite flowy and soft material. They're really flattering and are quite long on my short thighs.

 Shorts and lace shoulder top - Primark 

Another pair of those shorts because I love this blue colour! The top was so nice on but so tight on my chest I've had to return it.

 Blouses - Primark 

I bought this mostly for an occasion I may need something smart but plain. I have endless blouses with animals and floral patterns but nothing plain but smart. The yellow is so nice and I wish my store had more colours in this design. The blue has a pussy bow but is cut quite low.

 Batiste £1.49, Nivea Express Hydration Primer £3.99 - Superdrug

I get through Batiste so fast and always stock up when its on offer. They only had a few cans so I left some at work and brought the rest home. I got another primer while they're on offer as I'm using mine everyday and really like it.

 I know this is kind of breaking my new years resolutions not to buy magazines but I am a huge fan of Disclosure and I'm so pleased they're getting noticed now and becoming popular. Plus it had a CD on it!

 Pj bottoms £3 and £8 - George at Asda 

I love the Disney pyjamas at Asda and got the top to go with the Aristocats bottoms a few weeks ago but left the bottoms as I wear shorts more. With the colder weather I've discovered I've only got one pair of bottoms and asked my Mum to get this pair on her next visit. She also found the star pair for half price.

 T-shirt - George at Asda 

Mum also found me this in the sale. I love having a few t-shirts that are loose and this is glittery - win win. 

 Summer dress £8 - Matalan 

I bought a different colour of this dress online and really liked it so when I saw these two colours in store I snapped them up. I've been so disappointed by Primark this year as they used to do lovely summer dresses and I found two in Norwich and that's been it.

 Neon bat wing tops £6 - Matalan 

These were both half price and it might be the fit. They are snug to the waist with bat wing sleeves - I really like them and the flash of neon is subtle. I wish I had more statement necklaces in my collection as they'd look great with these but I didn't get on well with them as I feel uncomfortable with them on blouses.

 Gem collar top £12 - Matalan 

This caught my eye from afar and the magpie in me just had to have it. It's an odd fit as its tight to my chest and then goes out at the waist but not too much because its a jersey material. The collar is gorgeous and some of the beads have a Swarovski look to them.

 Satsuma body butter, Indian Night Jasmine body mist £7.50 (for both) - The Body Shop 

I used the code in store to get these so cheap. I hate the way most items were on offer but the voucher can only used once on items not in a multi save. I would have bought so much otherwise!

 Maybelline Color Show in Rain Forest Canopy and Shooting Stars £2.99 (BOGOHP), Models Own Tropical in Aqua Splash, Mermaid Tears and Pink Paradise £5 (3 for 2) - Boots

I am unable to walk away from new polish. This was a very restricted pick as I had so many in my hand originally that I had to force myself to leave some behind. I can't wait to try the Tropical ones as they'll look amazing in the summer. I got the Maybelline purely for a quicker manicure then painting my nails and then using the L'Oreal Confetti topcoat.

The Great Gatsby deluxe soundtrack £10.99, Perks of being a wallflower £7, Les Miserables two disc Sainsburys exclusive £12.99 - Sainsburys
My friend told me ages ago she had pre-ordered a two disc Les Mis DVD from Sainsburys and I assumed it was going to be everywhere but I soon realised I couldn't find it anywhere and a work colleague told me Sainsburys had it. I happened to look online and if you spent £30 you got £5.99 off the DVD so I pre-ordered a game and then added the other two and I got my discount. The soundtrack is amazing and I can't wait to see the film!

So that's my week. I am getting so excited for my holiday I just want to pack and go now!
Hope you've all had good weeks

Sunday Summary #53

Eeee January is nearly over. I have quite a few birthdays in February and after Christmas I can't think of any great presents. The easiest one seems to be for a three year old! I'm sure it will all come together in time. The shops just seem so full of sale rubbish, same old stock or nothing special enough. I've been stressing also as I placed an order with HMV (a rather big one I might add) that they emailed me saying it had been dispatched the day before they went into administration. They can debit your account once they've sent it out, except none of the items have turned up. Now I'm panicking incase they have taken my money but I don't have any items. If it was £10 I wouldn't mind so much but its much more than that. The website is shut down, their email no longer works and I can't ask in-store as it isn't anything to do with the staff there and besides I'm sure they're having a bad enough time as it is. I would go into my bank to ask for an early statement but when I did that in November they weren't overly helpful. So I'm waiting for my statement to be posted and going from there. My Mum had an order with HMV also that they emailed a dispatch email but she hasn't received anything either. I'm hoping its an auto thing and we haven't paid. If this has happened to you too let me know!
Me and my boyfriend went with our friends to see Gangster Squad on Tuesday. My boyfriend treated me beforehand to my favourite Chinese restaurant and then to popcorn and an ice blast at the cinema. Gangster Squad is an epic film, I was so excited to see it and it certainly didn't disappoint. Ryan Gosling is an absolute babe, what a beautiful man. He is so good in it and Emma Stone is really impressive too. She really suits the 1950's era. It is quite gruesome in places but they are gangsters after all but the comedy one liners lighten it. I bought Lawless on DVD this week as HMV haven't had any stock. I also tracked down a Les Misérables soundtrack as it had sold out online! I've felt so tired this week and falling asleep at every opportunity. I'm hoping its just a phase or I'm run down as its not fun having no motivation to do anything. My boyfriend was away this weekend and I ended up sleeping for 14 hours last night! My boyfriend is a very early riser for work during the week so doesn't sleep in too late plus why waste your day together sleeping. Although we have the occasional bed day :) I'm so happy it rained as its washed away all the horrible ice on the pavements. It was weird looking out the window to a green garden again as its been white for over a week now.
I really got into watching Celebrity Big Brother this year as Heidi and Spencer of The Hills fame were on it. It doesn't seem they've changed as I had wondered if they played up to create drama. However they still isolated themselves and did horrible things on CBB. My heart was in my mouth when it came down to those two and Rylan. So pleased Rylan won, he was genuine and really likeable.
I'm desperate to get my hands on the Rimmel Apocalips after swatching them on Friday but the two Boots in my town didn't have the stock to make the most of the 3 for 2, sigh. Honestly the main Boots is terrible at stocking their make-up counters. I often end up waiting weeks for items. I know if I overlook the offer they'll stock back up and I'll wish I waited and got more products for my money.

Aussie Frizz Miracle conditioner £2 Boots clearance, Nivea Smooth Nourishing hand cream £2.25 (on promotion) 

I've decided to try Aussie as I have seen people raving about it for years yet somehow never thought to actually buy it! It seemed too good a chance to miss grabbing a reduced bottle to see how I like it. I bought this Nivea cream in a travel size and love it. I was so happy to buy the full size bottle on offer, I love saving money haha. 

 Bird house with detachable roof £1.25 (sale) Evolution 

I'm not sure what I will use this for, maybe even fill it with gifts for a birthday present, but I love the florals and for the ridiculous price tag I couldn't walk away.

Daisy felt box £1 Evolution

Another steal! I love daisies and couldn't resist this little box. I'm not sure what I might keep in it but I'm certain I'll find something, I originally thought lipsticks as my lipstick drawer is getting a little full....

Anchor oversized scarf £4 Primark 

Now I haven't spent in Primark this week but my Mum did. I LOVE anchors which you probably know so I'm so excited when the spring comes to wear this :)

Free with O2 Priority Moments 

I cannot believe this was free! What a bargain, quite the penny saver this week hey. Its from 2012 so very recent. I haven't used Davina workout DVDs because the 3DS is the holy grail in my opinion. I'll give this a whirl as Davina has a cracking body. 

Claire's Accessories Bird hairband £5

I went in with intention of birthday present finding/buying and ended up with some goodies for me. I did buy A birthday present might I add. I've been wearing bows in my hair this week and my boyfriend really liked it. I always used to have bows in my hair of some variety but last year felt I should stop. Plus washing my hair much less meant most days my hair was up, and I struggle to keep hairbands right if my hair is up as they just fall back. 

Claire's Accessories navy polka dot hairband £3 

 I couldn't say no to this one. I love nautical themes and navy is one of my favourite colours. Claire's are typically the best for hairbands because they always have such a huge variety but New Look can be good on occasion too.

Claire's Accessories Sideways silver cross £3

I bought the gold one ages ago and when I saw the silver I thought, well for the days I'm wearing silver...I don't wear my gold one too often as I work with some very religious people and I don't want to offend as one is a Catholic. £3 is a steal though remembering the prices when they first became popular and the reason I could never part with such expense. 

 Claire's Accessories multi-chain ombre pink beaded necklace £7
I don't know what it is about long necklaces, I love them. This is quite different to anything long I have, most are pendants or a single chain. They are great in the summer when you have a plain blouse on. I rarely wear these in the winter because I'm bundled up and they get trapped under the layers and pull on my neck, plus I don't want to break one.

Les Misérables soundtrack £9.99 WHSmith and Lawless DVD £10 Asda

Disney Marie iphone case ebay 

My Mum got me this so I don't the seller or price, but leave a comment if you want the link 

Pamela Mann love seam tights £7.99 Amazon

I saw these on a girl on Saturday night and NEEDED them. A few days later they arrived. I haven't worn them yet but I can't wait for some warmer weather to. I'm certain Primark sold these types of tights last year and like a fool I didn't purchase them, and now wish I had!  

Avon Daily Shine Shine Supreme range 

I had a thought today that despite being an Avon Trendsetter and getting my hands on new products before anyone else I never post about them! This is the latest Advance Techniques launch and I'm really excited to see if they make my hair shiny. AT products have the same amazing smell and are really nice to use so I'm sure these won't disappoint. 

Avon SuperShock gel eyeliners in Frost and Aqua Pop 

These gel eyeliners are incredible. Since they launched I have used nothing else and swear by them. They're so creamy, smooth and long lasting. I was so excited for these new colours as previously they've done grey and a deep purple. 

Frost is a very champagne "highlight" colour while Aqua Pop is a kingfisher blue. They dried instantly on my hand and have stuck fast despite me scrubbing at them in the shower. Frost is ideal for me as I think white would be too harsh on my waterline although I've wanted to try it so this softer pearly will be a nice alternative. I know the blue will be amazing as I used to wear the No7s teal and blue eyeliners on my waterline but they didn't last through my work day so I stopped even though they looked amazing. 

I haven't really got any plans for this week, just work. Feeling so tired I don't much fancy going out after work. We'll see how it goes, hoping me and the boyfriend can do something near the end of the week maybe if I'm not still feeling so drained. If the weather wasn't so cold I'd be off to the beach for some fresh air. Such an old lady :)
Hope you've all had good weeks

Sunday Summary #52

52 weeks of these! A whole year, wow wee! This week has been crazy with the UK being snowed under. I've loved having a white blanket and even though the temperature has plummeted I've been wearing six layers inside, adding my Superdry coat, hat, gloves and snood for outside. I've been toasty with just a cold face haha. Luckily transport wise its been ok getting around, the roads could have been better but could have been worse. Its been snowing all day today so it isn't going away anytime soon. 

I made a little trip back to Primark this week to get a refund on some of the items I showed you last week. I hate the way all shops size their clothes differently and Primark are truly awful. I always have to look at the design and material to work out the size I might need. As I haven't shopped there for a while I'd forgotten how to size myself, my favourite item the blue bird shirt didn't fit my bust, wah. I did look at it buttoned up to under my bust but it looked hilarious. Praying I find a bigger size as they're currently sold out of it. I kept popping into Boots this week for cold relief and throat soothers for my boyfriend and nasal sticks, make up and eye drops for me and resisting the Rimmel Kate Moss matte lipstick in 107 even though I want it so badly. Since seeing it pop up on Instagram I want it even more and think I should just be brave and go for it - I can wear red so surely I can wear this deeper purple red?! 

Last night me and my boyfriend finally had our long awaited first second date (the same as our first, but second time round to celebrate reaching a year) and we had an amazing meal before cinema. We went to Frankie & Benny's and I picked dough sticks for my starter - INCREDIBLE! Who knew such pleasure. My main was ruined by the overuse of salt, I hate salty food and I just couldn't eat it :( I went for the cajun chicken melt wrap and had such high hopes too. We skipped dessert and headed to the cinema. It was so cold even though I was bundled up that as much as I wanted an ice blast I didn't get one but also as we were seeing Les Miserables I didn't want to need a wee as I refuse to leave during a film. We got a bottle of water because my mouth felt horrible from the salt and we didn't have any gum. The film was amazing, I wasn't sure what to expect having seen it in the theatre but it is so well done. An amazing cast, playing their characters spot on. I loved the little Cosette, so cute but outstanding in her role. I can't believe Russell Crowe can sing, or Hugh Jackman or Anne Hathaway! A must see especially for Les Mis fans. I want to go and see it all over again. Should be seeing Gangster Squad on Tuesday which I'm excited for as I love Ryan Gosling and I think Emma Stone is really doing well for herself. 

I've had the worst period pain this week. It started on Thursday and honestly I can't remember it being so bad recently. I've always suffered and tried every medication including IBS tablets (to relax stomach muscles, suggested by a doctor, they did ok) Nurofen Plus has been doing the job for the past year or so. I don't remember much pain from my first pill prescription. I had to change following a health scare and my current pill has been ok but I've still needed a high dosage of painkillers. This time was so bad I couldn't sleep and have ended up with a badly burnt stomach from so many hot water bottles and a burnt arm, where I fell asleep clutching the bottle to me one night. My boyfriend has told me not to have such hot water in the bottle but nothing else helps. If anyone has any tips or ideas I'd appreciate them :) I've also tried raspberry leaf (natural remedy). 

This weeks buys:

Hello Kitty Liberty Of London shopper bag £12.99 (£6.49 at WHSmith, not online I just looked so only in store)

It has lots of London landmarks on it and Hello Kitty and her friends dotted around :)

Variety Club Monsters Inc pin, I got mine in Cineworld 

 Schwartzkopf Osis Dust It Texture £8.95 cheapsmells.com

Dorothy Perkins cat hat £8 - I live in these in the winter and not bought one this year!

Dorothy Perkins Pearly bead collar £7.50

Dorothy Perkins Peace bracelet £2

Dorothy Perkins Reindeer earrings £2

 Boots VO5 Give Me Texture spray £3.49

 Primark nail wraps £1

Primark Anchor pumps £6 - I wanted these SO bad, my Mum got me a pair the same day I did so I have two :) which saved me going back for a second pair haha

Primark lace and stud collar £7

 Primark hoody £8 - I changed the grey one for this and sized down

Primark polka dot and bow vest £8 - love the bows on the shoulder

Primark cotton polka dot skater dress £5 - bargain or what! This looks so cute on and will be perfect for a more casual occasion when I still want a dress

Ted Baker shopper £22 ASOS - This should be £29 but is set at £22 on ASOS. I love this little puppy print and I couldn't resist it. I love the little details on this bag such as the city names down one side of the bag and "no ordinary designer bag" down the other side. The puppy is on the back like the make up bag. I love little shopper bags as you can tell! I rarely take plastic bags and if I do its because I've gone shopping by surprise or mine are all full. I wish we had the law like Wales to pay for plastic bags as I bet we'd cut usage so much

Minnie Mouse shopper 99p Card Factory - another bargain!! This bag is quite strong and sturdy for the money (that light plastic with a foamy backing) its slightly bigger than A4 size. I used it to carry a days worth of clothes about the other day and they only filled it about two thirds with a bottle of drink and at one point had my bulky snood and hat in too. I look bag obsessed also in this post!

Models Own ASOS Exclusive Models Own in Party Pieces £5 - I found this by accident and am so pleased with it. Its full of rainbow coloured glitter pieces which I expect will look amazing on. Reminds me of OPI's Rainbow Connection, for a much lower price. 

ASOS collar tips £4 (sale) - I love collar tips and wish more tops came with them. I found these in the ASOS sale and they are so beautiful. They have pink, blue and clear crystals so will go with almost any top I attach them to. They had ones with different coloured stones too. 

Primark heart fleece blanket £3 - another bargain. Mum got me this. I already have about ten blankets but they are so useful as I get cold so I've always got one in the bed with me, on the bed over the duvet while I sleep, my boyfriend often sleeps with one, and we put one on the end of the bed frame because its metal and its cold on my boyfriends feet and for when we're watching DVDs in the lounge.

And some snow pictures -

So that's my white week. Hope you've stayed safe in the snow and its not affected your day to day routines too much.
Hope you've all had good weeks