Mini Winter Clothes Haul

Well winter is most definitely here to stay, and although the Christmassy sheen of the cold seems like a lifetime ago, the snow is still threatening (or well & truly arrived if you're in other parts of the UK!).

I have to say I'm not great in the winter as I don't do too well in thick jumpers when going in and out of hot trains, offices and shops but I did find a couple of lovely bits over the last month or so perfect for layering up.

Zara online is a favourite of mine, as you're probably getting to know I do most of my shopping online. I know nothing beats seeing and feeling and trying but it's just so quick and convenient (which also makes it far FAR too easy to spend!). Sad as it sounds I love that Zara online box the items and have some tissue paper wrapping your purchases - it makes it feel like a little present to yourself! Unfortunately due to new season stock some items are not longer available for me to link but I know they're still in-store so go go go. 

I treated myself to three tops in muted tones as well as this teddy bear coat from Matalan.  I've seen a similar coat on Kristina Bazan's Kayture blog (which is amazing for lusting over too hard to afford items!) Matalan have some great fashion items from time to time so it's worth checking out online every now and then (plus their homeware it pretty good too!).

Zara necklace detail top £25.00

Zara black guipure lace top £25.99

Zara cream asymmetric ribbed jumper £19.99

Matalan teddy bear necklace £30.00 (on offer in-store from £40)

Prysma Projection Clock

Happy New Year! This post comes way later than planned however with a lovely Christmas back home, New Year in London and a new job to tackle it's been a pretty hectic time. 

I have to say I'm really excited to get more organised with my blog and to start being a dedictaed blogger as this is something I love doing and want to give it the time it needs.

 I've got lots of great posts planned already with the help of my trusty notebooks, 2015 diary and some very cute sticky-notes from Paperchase (thanks Father Christmas!). 

I was very excited to receive my first item to review in December - a Prysma Projection Clock. Now before you read on I should let you know this is a completely unbiased and unpaid review.

 So on with the item - I have a rather trusty dock/radio/clock thingymabob that wakes me up to the tunes of the radio or my iPhone and I've never thought about replacing it. It does it's job and doesn't look too shabby. When the clock arrived it was neatly packaged and surprisingly small and lightweight, and even better...I liked the look of it! 

So what's so good about it? Well I'm glad you asked:

* Projects the time and temperature onto your ceiling/wall

* Tells the time & adjust with the clock changes automatically

* Double alarm function (with snooze button of course)

* Gives you the temperature indoor or out with a sensor for outside your house/flat

It's easy to put together and after a couple of re-reads of the instructions, easy to use. I hate reading instructions and this does need a read due to the temperature settings along with the temperature sensor but it didn't take long to set and the sensor sits just outside my window. 

I was worried the projection would be bright or distracting in a dark room whilst you're trying to sleep but I love it. I think it'd be a perfect present for that hard to buy for person (my dad comes to mind) or even for younger children as a reassuring glow. 

The red option is £59.99 so it's not cheap however if you're in need of something new or looking for a gift then I'd go for it.  It comes in a selection of different colours and price varies depending on colour, you can buy your very own here if you so wish! 

Ebay finds - The Statement Necklace

TOP ROW               Nude Ribbon Necklace          Circle Pendent            Black Crystal Necklace
BOTTOM ROW                     Clear Crystal Necklace                  White & Gold Necklace 

I LOVE eBay, it's actually bordered on a problem over the years but I just love a bargain! There's also something really addictive about the buzz you get bidding on an item minutes before it ends and seeing if you're going to be the winner (or getting pipped to the post in the last two seconds!).

I wanted to include a few tips for those of you maybe unsure of getting into eBay to make life and searching for those wanted items a little easier. I've also included above some of my favourite statement necklaces which are a snip compared to those you'll find on the high street at the moment. (and some I know I've seen in some of our favorite high street shops)>

Be aware although the above are all on the UK eBay site they are shipped from Asia(hence the amazing prices), but from experience if it's not urgent, it's well worth bagging a bargain and waiting that little bit longer for it to arrive. Usually 2-4 weeks is about right for delivery from Asia. 

My Top 5 Ebay Tips:

1. Be savvy with your searches. If there's a particular style or brand you're looking for then make sure you're specific. Ebay give you options to filter however you can also filter out unwanted sizes/colours buy using the minus sign in front of any sizes you don't want to feature e.g.

When you search it'll filter out any items with those -words in so you're more likely to find the item you want. You can use eBay's filters however when people list items they don't always use these functions so the minus sign is your best bet!

2. Don't bid too early. I always bid in the last 5 seconds of the item ending. Of course if you aren't going to be free to bid at the end time then go for it but the 5 second rule will stop you from going crazy and bidding too much for an item....believe me I've been there!

3. Set yourself a budget. Have a maximum amount in mind that you'd like to spend (not forgetting p&p), and stick to it. Say you don't want to spend more than £20 on the item - when you bid put your maximum bid as £20.93 (or another non round amount), and then if you're outbid you won't end up paying way more than you wanted.

4. Don't be afraid to sell. It can take some time to get used to selling but once you're on it, it's  great way of getting rid of items you no longer use (having some extra pennies to go towards lovely new items!). Just make sure you keep on top of questions potential buyers might ask, and always post on time to ensure you get great feedback. Make sure you set up a Paypal account before you get going and then you're ready to rock. Some simply easy tips on starting selling here 

5. Get the ebay app. It's free and you'll never miss an item ending/a listing selling. The app will remind you 15mins before the end of a listing, allow you to quickly list items to sell using photos from your phone. If you also download Paypal you can withdraw money into your own bank account on the go too so if you sold an item you can see the funds in your bank within hours...WIN!

Christmas Gift Favourites

With 9 shopping days left there's still time to get gifts online delivered to your door, g&t and mice pie in hand, and no crowds. Make sure you check the courier sites if ordering in the UK as most couriers are experiencing delays as you've probably read in the news.

 I've selected a few of my favourites and there should be something here for all of your loved ones. Links and prices below but be sure to go through a cashback website like Topcashback as you can earn on your purchases...another bonus of online shopping!

From top left:

1. Bloom & Wild Christmas Bouquet - The Lucy £20 or £50 for 3 (1 per month) Perfect for mum, gran, sister, friend! 

2. Christmas Cookie Candle Medium Jar £16   Plus Yankee Candle have a12 days of Christmas Offer changing daily

3.  Barney Bear Bootie The White Company £16 (reduced from £20) 0-24mths - so cute!

4.  Mens Scarf £15 M&S

5. Selfmade sweatshirt $88 USD  From the amazing blogger sisters Aimee and Dani Song (Worldwide shipping)

6. Too Faced Beauty Wishes & Sweet Kisses Palette £32 - this has everything in it you need day to day

7. The Night Before Christmas Pop Up Book £10.39 - so lovely to get into a Christmas routine and read this every year,

8. Tablet Stand coz-e-reader £19.99 - a practical gift, they have loads of colours on their main site but they are all sold out with the Christmas rush so Amazon have a few left.

9. Charles Mignon Champagne M&S £16 (reduced from £32) - it's Champagne and it's pretty Enough said.

10. Ted Baker Wallet & Cardholder Gift Set £45

11. Faux Fur Vest Forever 21 £36  

12. Breakfast In Bed Box £40  - what a lovely way to treat a loved one with this one morning over the holidays! Plus design your own card for free until 19th December.

Christmas Jumper Day

Somehow it's the 12th of December, time is flying by and I'm trying to savour every second of this magical time. To help me along with my festiveness t's Christmas Jumper Day today and we're taking part in work in conjunction with Save The Children Charity. You can find out more about the charity here and along with a donation I'll be donning this all.day.long. Make sure you use #xmasjumperday if you're instagramming/tweeting and that way you can join in! 

I've chosen this light up bad boy from  Matalan and I have to say I love it! It's actually a mans jumper  size small, I have to say overall the mens departments in most stores won hands down in terms of choice and out and out cheese. The ladies ones I found were more cutesy and fluffy and the fact this lights up (and was also on offer with 25% off!) made me pick it up without a second thought.

I can't wait to see the other creations and hopefully we'll raise a great amount for Save The Children as well as being thoroughly festive!

Festive Fun Accessories

Large pic: 1) Christmas Tree Bells pen - Tiger £1       2) Christmas Scene Napkins  - Tiger £1     3) Silver double coin necklace  - Primark £2     4) Heart Advent Stickers - Tiger £1     5) Gold Midi Rings - Primark £2.50    6) Christmas Tree soft phone case - Primark £3.50        7) Heart Lidded Mason Style Jar Glass - Tiger £3.50 

I'm mad on Christmas and my view is every single activity of your day can be Christmasified (yep that's not a word). A few of my favourite novelty silliness above mixed in with a couple of midi rings and necklace as it'd be shame not to buy them whilst in the Christmas nightmare of Primark on Oxford Street at this time of year! I've got a last minute little gift guide soon to be posted so for those of you still looking for those perfect gifts then keep your eyes peeled!