Where have I been?

I'm here to take my own advice! Canvas from Primark Home £3

So yes...hi, it's been a good old while hasn't it! I'm back, rather sheepishly after too much time off due to a) wondering why I was writing this blog in the first black b) not having the time to write anything half decent and c) comparing myself to other incredible blogs and feeling a bit, well, pants.

I work in the social media world 9-5.30 and teach singing at the weekends and this year I've really felt the struggle to juggle my time and give myself space to think creatively to really dedicate the time needed to nurture my little corner of the internet. 

BUT I can't deny it, I love writing, I love documenting fun little activities or amazing food and lets not get started on my love of clothes, make up and a good old bargain. So I'm back, and have vowed to post at least once a week, to really get involved in this community and to just enjoy it. I love reading blogs and still regularly sit on my lunch and read my faves along with a few vlogs. but it's hard not to compare, or wonder how they find the time to post so much content or how I don't have the latest must have camera or lighting. But I should just be me and put silly self doubt and just get on with it!

So there you have it. Tiny violin is back in it's case and I've already got my next couple of posts almost ready to go! So you'll see a new post every Friday morning with the first coming on the 8th April.

Hope you're having a lovely week

I've got braces

Happy Valentine's Day! A random post for today you might think but hey, I'm working from home and multi-tasking during lunch so what better time to update you.

So yes...I now have braces, C-Fast braces to be precise. I've always had minor issues with my teeth since a teen where I had a retainer. I have a wonky front tooth and lets not even go there with my bottom teeth but thankfully they're pretty well hidden! As a teen I was offered fixed braces top and bottom for 2 years as well as two teeth out. I politely declined at because just weren't cool back then, hardly anyone I knew had them.

WHY DID I SAY NO?! If I could go back I would tell my 14 year old self to get them done, I'd be thankful when I'm older and I wasn't cool anyway so no one would have cared. But hey ho, here I am years later paying to get them sorted. Now I know, they aren't horrendous and don't affect my life but they were getting worse and making me feel quite self conscious so after almost 5 years of umming and ahhhing about getting them done I took the plunge!

They're more obvious in real life but this due to lighting!

So here they are! I originally wanted Invisalign because they're almost invisible and can be taken out to eat and the results are really fast however I was quoted almost double the cost of my C-Fast and these beauties only take up to 6 months! They are clear however they're in no way invisible. I've had them in for a month now and I'm used to them but it took a good week to get past the discomfort and the fact the braces felt huge. Tip for anyone else considering braces - when they tell you the things you can and can't eat...follow it! I ate a curry a week after having them fitted and stained them which still hasn't totally gone. Ha!

I'll be sure to update you but I can already see some movement and am having the wires changed tomorrow so it's all looking positive! I've decided to get them whitened as well once the process is over, another thing I've always wanted but couldn't justify the cost but I thought I may as well since I'm going through with the braces.  

I've loved hearing people's brace stories so if you've had them or are considering them let me know!

Zara feather bag - Product of the Month

Happy weekend! What a week it's been, I've had a lot of work on with a showcase event for lots of lovely journalists and bloggers in my normal 9-5. I don't usually talk about my job too much on here but it was an amazing event and went really well so the late nights were well worth it! 

So onto my item of the month - how gorgeous is this bag from Zara?! My lovely auntie got me a voucher for Christmas and after putting about £300 worth of product in my basket (does anyone else always do that??), I remembered I was on a tight budget and stuck to the price of my voucher. 

This little beauty is £29.99 from Zara and I LOVE IT.  I don't have lots of bags, just a select few and my trusty black going out back (also from Zara) which I've had for a few years, has certainly seen better days.

This bag is faux suede with silver feather detail, silver chain and a sturdy boxy body. It'll go with so many outfits and is a really great size. Hope you like this little suggestion and have a lovely week! 

2016 is well & truly here

Well I'm very late with this but Happy New Year! 

I had an amazing 2 whole weeks off work over Christmas and really switched off. I went back home to Manchester and spent quality time with my friends and family and had so.much.fun. I'm starting to really miss home, what an almost 2yr old nephew and 3 pregnant friends it's been a tug on the heart strings to come back to London but more about that in another blog post! 

I didn't check the blogging world at all but it's been REALLY hard to get back into my usual work routine but now I've made a list of blog posts for the next month I'm ready to start enjoying my blog again and have some goals for 2016. 

So New Year, it's a funny old time. I've always liked NYE, you get to get dressed up, party with friends or family, toast to a new year and make lots of resolutions you probably won't keep. But, as I've got older, it's not the big deal I thought it once was. London is expensive, the fireworks are amazing but once you've been stuck in the middle of crowds at 2am trying to get on a tube/train you'll never want to attempt it again. Everyone lives so far away - gone are the days of a house party unless you fancy a jaunt to zone 6 where your friend lives and maybe/definitely sleeping on the floor. 

Since I've moved to London with Adam, we've never had NYE together as he used to work in a pub and always ended up working  (all about the dollar), so this year we decided to keep it casual and go to the local pub. Only I hadn't thought ahead, even 3 weeks before the night everywhere was booked up. Thankfully we managed to get one of the last tables at a nice pub in Blackheath, we'd eat, drink and get home in time for the fireworks. 

But....I ended up winning tickets to the Sky Garden thanks to View London! Thank goodness I checked my work emails from home, there was the email saying I'd won a competition and to just rock up at 9.30pm. A live band, free champagne and view of the fireworks, YES PLEASE! I rarely win things but have had a lucky streak recently (shame I didn't win that huge lotto jackpot this weekend!).Huge huge thank you to View London for this amazing NYE and also ASOS for the most gorgeous dress I've ever worn!  

It was so beautiful, the cocktails were incredible, staff were lovely, the view amazing, and the band really made the night. At £150 a ticket I'd never splash out for New Years Eve but it was really special and something I won't forget. If you're in London I'd recommend a visit, they are open all day so you can grab a bite to eat and see London in style. 

Hope you had a fabulous new year whatever you got up to! 

Winter Skin Saviour

You wouldn't know it was December today with the spring-like temperatures but boy does the up and down of hot to cold play havoc with my skin this time of year. Thankfully the lovely people at Nutricentre got in touch to ask if I'd like to review one of their beauty items. Nutiricentre specialise in American imports of health items you can't always get elsewhere in the UK alongside staples for a healthier lifestyle and practitioner advice. I plucked for their Jason Natural Vitamin E Oil from Nutricentre.com £9.89

 I won't lie, I don't really know what the numbers and letters stand for but I presume it's the concentration of the oil in the same way you can get stronger vitamin tablets! Vitamin E is well known to help combat anything from sun damage to dryness and the great thing with this oil is it can be mixed into your daily moisturiser and used on your body & face.

I've been using this for a good two weeks now mixed into my usual body lotion and face moisturiser and it's so lovely and light but I've really noticed my skin has felt moisturised for longer. I'm prone to small patches of eczema in the winter and popping on some concentrated oil and massaging in has really helped to ease it.

If you have any magic winter skin tips let me know as it can't be 15 degrees in December forever!

Product of the Month - This Works Sleep Range

Sleep is a big deal for me. I've been working 7 days a week at the moment so getting a rested nights sleep has never been more important! In London, living on a busy road I have no trouble drifting off but waking up numerous times in the night is a problem. Heading home to Manchester I sleep through the night as I have lovely quiet dark room so any help to get close to this blissful nights sleep is always welcome!

Cue This Works and their absolutely amazing Sleep range. The aim of their range is promote a good nights sleep and with lavender, eucalyptus and a hole host of other natural oils, I'm already addicted.  I've tried their This Works Sleep Stress Less £12 and Sleep Plus Pillow Spray £16. Stress Less is a roller-ball of oils you can pop onto pulse points, the spray is exactly what it says, a pillow spray. The strap was a samples size but I'll definitely be investing in a full size (even Adam loved it's soothing scent). It really helped me and Adam dift off quicker and although I still wake up in the night, I'm finding it easier to drift back off to sleep. I have the bath and show products on my wishlist for the perfect relaxing end to the night. 

I'm pretty strict with my bedtime routine (because I know how crabby I am if I don't have enough and 6am starts are no fun on a few measly hours!)

My tips for a good night's sleep

1. Don't eat or drink too late. I try to eat before 7.30 if possible so I give my body time to digest and relax.

2. Before bed, set some time aside to organise anything you might need for the next day. I set up my workout gear for the morning (I can hardly function at 6am so this helps a lot!), decide on my clothes for the next day and write any 'to do' lists for the next day. This way you won't have any small jobs niggling on your mind. 

3. Leave your phone in another room. I turn my phone off and leave it in the living room so I'm not tempted to sit and scroll through Instagram or check emails etc. 

4. Treat bedtime prep as a bit of you time. I like to moisturise my hands and feet, pop some cuticle oil on, add a slick of Elizabeth Arden 8hr cream to my lips and roll on my This Works oil. I know, glam it is not but you'll feel so much better for it in the morning! 

5. Read - I'm guilty of not giving myself time to do this. I love reading but most of time time I'll get trough a couple of pages and already be nodding off. 

6. If you're anything like me and need a nice dark room to be able to drift off in, invest in some blackout curtains or even a eye mask.