Get to know me

I have had this blogging here now on and off for about 2 years and this year I have really gotten into it meaning I have been posting more frequently and gained a lot more readers and followers.  So, I thought it was about time I introduced myself and told you more about me a kind of get to know me thing! 

 

I did a little research and found some classic questions and got some of you to ask some questions over on my Instagram (@sweetpea97.blog).  But if you have any other things you would like to know I may do another Q&A on my Instagram. 

1) How old am I? – I turned 23 on November 14th 

   

2) How long have I been blogging? – I have been blogging in total for about 4 years.

    

3) Why did I start blogging? - I starting out writing blogs for my university about student life and living in a different city.  I was loved it so much and got great feedback from readers that I decided to start my own blog after finishing university and sweetpea97 was created

   

4) Where did I go to university and what did I study? – I went to university in Birmingham and studied Events Management finishing with a First Class Honours!

   

5) What do I do? – Since I was 16 I have worked within the events industry (weddings in particular), prior to this crazy year I was a wedding and events coordinator.  Was being the key word there… unfortunately with the current restrictions putting many weddings and events on hold I was made redundant.  However, I am incredibly lucky that within a few weeks of loosing my job, I found a new one.  So, I am now working in an office within the roadworks industry and am actually getting the hang of it and enjoying it.

6) Do I have any siblings? – Yes, I have a sister who is 18 months youngers than me. 

7) How tall are you? – I can’t remember the last time I actually measured myself, but I think I am about 5ft 4

8) Sweets or chocolate? – Chocolate!! My current fav chocolate is Dairy Milk Winter Edition with ginger bread.

9) Favourite biscuit? – Those of you who know me well will know I can also quite easily devour a whole pack of any kind of biscuits really.  I don’t think I can pick just one so I will share a few of my favourites – Biscoff, custard creams (great for dunking in a cuppa) and jam sandwiches (which I think are like posh jammie doggers haha) 

10) What is my favourite dinner? - It’s got to be Soaghetti Bolognese! 

11) Do you have any allergies? – I have a nut allergy, hey fever and I seem to be getting more and more lactose intolerant as I get older. 

12) Do you have any scars? – Yes.  I have a small scar on the bottom of my chin which I got whilst balancing on a wobbly plank thing (great description I know) at the park and a boy decided to jump on it sending me flying chin first apparently into the log stepping stones at the other end of the plank.  I had to spend all half term with a bright blue plaster under my chin. Very attractive haha!

13) Favourite movie - This is a tough one as I love so many!  Okay I will narrow it down to 2: Bride Wars and Parent Trap

14) Dogs or cats - Sorry to all you cat lovers out there but I 100% a dog person!

15) Favourite place to shop - I am currently loving Zara but I have always loved New look, Topshop, Miss Selfridge and River Island too. I also love homesense as I love all random bits you can find for your home

16) Strange fact about yourself – I sleep walk. Yes, you read that correct! I used to do it quite a lot as a child, but as I have gotten older I don’t do it as much and more just talk utter nonsense!

How I get out of the blues

 

It seems like so long ago since my last blog post.  If I’m honest it’s because the the last weeks I have not been myself and the only way I can describe it is that I’ve been feeling a bit meh..... 

I have been feeling anxious about the current situation and changes to the rules, I have been having a hard time at work and been feeling tired and run down.  

The last few days I have been trying to get myself out of this and I thought I would share you some ways I have been trying to get out of the blues and feel motivated again In the hope that it may help some of you who are feeling the same. 

Hello, me here! I am just going to jump in here and edit a little to say this blog post was written on Thursday before the new announcement was made.  Since this news was released last night, my anxiety has been a bit all over the place today... I am sure many of you feel the same.  So, I am going to carry on using the methods I was using to get out of the blues over the past 2 weeks and hope it helps me now too.  I hope this helps anyone out there who is also feeling a bit meh and anxious at this time too.  Just know you are not alone and if you ever need to talk my insta inbox (@sweetpea97.blog) or comments are always open! 

Okay now that’s been said, let’s get back to it...  

1. One thing I have been doing is trying to think positive.  Each morning I try and say out loud to myself 5 positive things in my life right now.  These can be anything you like from my makeup looks good today to I have a warm roof over my head. I have found by doing this I focus on the good in my life and it makes me realise how lucky I am.  When you think about the good it increases. 

   

2. Do things that make you feel good.  I know a lot of you are gonna call me crazy but I love Christmas and not gonna lie, I have been watching Christmas movies the last few weeks and it has really cheered me up! I know it’s October, but hey if it makes you happy go for it and right now Christmas movies cheers me up so I’m going to watch them haha! So, if it makes your happy who cares what others think, go for it and hopefully it will cheer you up. 

3. Don’t ignore how you feel.  There have been times where I have felt meh and tried to hide it or ignore it but in the end that has made it worse and it’s come out eventually and I’ve been a real mess. I read a quote once and I’ve always remembered it: 

“It’s okay to have a melt down.  Just don’t unpack and live there.  Cry it out and then refocus on where you are headed.” 

4. I am a sucker for good quote and motivation book.  So I find when having meh moments whether that be sad, angry, anxious I have a little read of some and it really makes me look at the situation differently.  My favourite book is Feel the Fear and Do It anyway. Some of my favourite quotes are: 

- “Everything happens for a reason” - Marilyn Monroe

- “For every minute you remain angry, you loose sixty seconds of happiness” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

- “It’s okay to loose your shit sometimes because if you keep your shit, you’ll end up full of shit and then you’ll explode and there will be shit everywhere.  A shit storm.  And nobody wants that.” 

- “You’re not a failure if you don’t make it.  You’re a success because you tried.” - Susan Jeffers 

I have actually got a little book I have written with my favourite quotes in and have been reading through these to boost my mood and motivate me. 

5. Sometimes the simple things are effective and for me that’s cosy socks, cuppa tea and biscuits watching random TV.  

I hope this blog post has helped some of you if you are feeling a bit meh.  Just know you are not alone and we all have our bad days or weeks but they do pass and you can get through it!

The colour pink

The colour pink has many meanings to different people. 

For many it is traditionally used when welcoming a little girl into the world, for others it is their favourite colour and it is even seen as colour to represent spring/summer. But this month in particular the colour pink is known is by people all over the world as symbol of breast cancer awareness. 

Around 55,000 people a year are diagnosed with breast cancer a year in the UK. Despite this, there are still far too many women not checking their breasts. Checking your boobs should be something you do at least once a month, more if you recognise anything different. It takes just a few minutes and can easily be added to your daily routine! 

I often check mine whilst in the shower or when getting dressed and it gives you that piece of mind that everything is okay. And if you do spot or feel anything different you can go see your GP and get things doubled checked by a professional just in case. Things to look out for are: 

• A new lump or thickening in your breast or armpit 
• A change in the size, shape or feel of your boobs
• Changes in the skin of your breast such as puckering, dimpling or rashes/redness 
• If you are not pregnant or breast feeding, any fluid leaking from the nipple. 
• Position of the nipple changing. 

There are plenty of guides online that show you how you can check your bobs and what signs you should look out for that may be a sign of breast cancer. I would recommend looking at the breast cancer.org website on how to do a self assessment and if you do feel something different or notice anything abnormal then you should book an appointment with your GP as soon as possible. 

Breast Cancer is something that has affected my family and thousands of others. We have all stood together over the last year and now we need to stand together again and raise awareness of breast cancer. 

So spread the message, wear pink and check your breasts!

ZARA Haul

With the cold autumnal weather arriving in the UK, I decided it was time to swap my wardrobe over and say goodbye to summer.  After putting all of my summer clothes away and donating clothes I no longer like or wear, I found my wardrobe looked rather bare.  With this in mind and pay day there to help I decided I would treat myself to a few bits from ZARA.

I absolutely love Zara and find they have great combo of affordable and expensive pieces in all styles from basics to more out there pieces. This year they have really smashed it with their autumnal items and it was so hard trying to restrain myself from buying at all - don't think my bank account would thank me for that!   So, I tried to purchase things that I could wear not only for autumn and winter but spring and summer too.  Anyway, thats enough babbling, lets get on and show you what I bought: 

The first item that caught my eye was these black darted shorts.  I haven't worn shorts and tights in years but I remember it was such an easy outfit and one that can be changed simply with a different of top.  So, I knew I could easily get lots of wear out of these and agin wear them in many a setting with a jumper a boots for everyday or a shirt, blazer and heels on a date night. I got a size small as although I have a small waist I have larger hips and they fit really well.  They are slightly larger on the waist but in the right way in that they leave enough room for tucking in a jumper or eating a good hearty meal!  They are a thick material meaning as the weather gets colder they will keep you warm and they are a nice length that doesn't leave your bum hanging out.  So, if you are looking for a different bottom piece to wear other than jeans or a skirt I would recommend these!

                                               Black Darted Shorts - £12.99 (in the sale!) 

The next item is this gorgeous floral print dress.  This is perfect for an all year round dress as it looks great with bare legs or tights, boots or pumps and even better with the puffed sleeves it can be worn casual or dressed up.  In the sale at only £12.99 it was such a bargin I couldn't resist!  I love the dainty pattern on this dress and it is the perfect length.  The only thing I would say about this dress that I am hoping to try and fix is that the neckline is very low.  I was planning on being able to wear this dress for various occasions such as work, dates and everyday, but I feel this may be a bit too booby for some of those settings.  So, I am going to see if I can take up the neckline with the help of my grandma and if not sadly I think it will have to go back as I wouldn't be brave enough to wear it. 

                                                        Floral Print Dress - £12.99 (in the sale!)

The next item I got was this faded effect ribbed t-shirt.  I have always wanted a faded effect t-shirt to wear with my summer skirts to transform them into autumn/winter outfits and this one is perfect!  I went for a size small and it is a great length that can be worn untucked or tucked in and it is actually quite thick making it a great layer for this cold weather. 

                                                 Faded Effect Rib T-Shirt - £7.99

I then found this super cute black long sleeved ribbed body suit which is nice and thick making it great for layering and is another piece that can be worn causal or dressed up.  I think body suits are one of my favourite items of clothing as it is like wearing a top tucked in but you never have to worry about it coming un-tucked. I ordered a size small and it is a perfect fit as it does not give me a wedgy but isn't too loose either and the sleeves come just past my wrists which is where I like them to be.  

                                                    Black Ribbed Bodysuit - £9.99

                    

                                              Ripped Mom Jeans Navy Blue - £25.99

The final item I got were a pair of ripped mom jeans in a size 8 (see photo above).  I have always loved the idea of mom jeans but struggled to find a pair that fit both my waist and hips without looking unflattering.  I currently have a pair from New Look which I wear to death so felt I should get another pair.  After a lot of scrolling on Instagram and watching youtube videos I decided to give the ZARA jeans a try and they did not disappoint! They length is just right either as it is or even works with a roll up or two and they fit very comfortably around my hips and waist leaving enough room to tuck in a jumper or hold a food baby! They are also great quality which at the price is a real bargin and I can definitely say I will be looking at ZARA jeans in the future. 

I hope you enjoyed this post, head on over to my instagram @sweetpea97.blog to check out my first reel where I show you these items in more detail! 

Current Skin Care Routine

After finally getting blinds put into our bathroom I have found I am spending a lot more time on my skincare as I don’t have to rush at the fear of everyone nosying in. 

So, this week I thought I would share with you what products I use and how I have found using them.  I do want to point out that I am by no means a skin care expert or anything like that.  I simply use the products that I have found work best for my skin. Now we have that bit out of the way, let get into the post! 

I am not one of those girls who used loads of different products morning and night as I have found that putting loads on my face can make it worse as I strip and scrub the natural oils away.  So I use about 3-4 products morning and night.

For my morning skincare routine I start by using the Clinique anti blemish solutions cleansing foam. One pump is plenty which means it’s lasts ages, so is great value for money! This is definitely my favourite part of my skincare routine as it leaves my skin feeling so soft and fresh. 

                        Clinique anti blemish solutions cleansing foam - £19.50 

https://www.boots.com/clinique-anti-blemish-solutions-cleansing-foam-125ml-10065311

I then move on to my under eyes and as I am quite insecure about my dark undergrad circles I use the Simple soothing eye balm.  I only use one pea size amount under eye and pat it gently across the bags. After a few days of this I have found it really has brightened this area making me feel more awake! 

  

                                                Simple Soothing Eye Balm - £4.02 

https://www.boots.com/simple-kind-to-eyes--eye-balm-soothing-15ml-10073270

I then finish my morning skincare routine with the Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream.  I spent ages trying to find a moisturiser that wasn’t too heavy for wearing during the day and helped keep my makeup on.  This one is perfect! It is light weight, not too oily meaning it holds my makeup well and a little goes a long way making it great value for money!

                                        Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream - £45

https://m.bobbibrown.co.uk/product/14007/12761/skincare/moisturiser/hydrating-face-cream

For my evening skin care routine I do very much the same as morning.  However, before using the Clinique anti blemish solutions cleansing foam I go in with the Clean and Clear blackhead clearing scrub.  I have always struggled with blackheads on my chin and nose in particular.  After a few washes using this and they are really starting to disappear!  Unlike other scrubs I have tried, this one makes my face feel clean but doesn’t leave it dry.  Much like the other products I use, this one is great value for money and it really does do what it says it should! 

                                Clean and Clear blackhead clearing scrub - £3.99

https://www.superdrug.com/Skin/Face-Skin-Care/Cleansers/Face-Scrubs/Clean-%26-Clear-Blackhead-Scrub-150ml/p/31178

I then use the Clinique anti blemish solutions, Simple eye balm and finish with the Clinique moisturising lotion.  I have used this moisturiser for years! But compared to the Bobbi Brown one, I find this much more oiler so I prefer to use it at night.  I find after the scrub this helps sooth and hydrate my skin overnight and come morning I feel my skin is refreshed and hydrated for another day! 

                                               Clinique Moisturising Lotion - £31

https://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_123070751499_-1

So, that is my current skin care routine and favourite products!  I would definetly recommend trying some of these and with christmas coming up (yes I am thinking about it already...) it could make a great gift idea either for a friend or for yourself! 

I would love to know if you have tried any of these products or what skin care products you would recommend in the comments below! 

Getting back to the gym

During lockdown I wanted to keep fit and healthy, so I tried to do lots of home workouts and runs.  However, after 4 months of this and a few running injuries I began to lose motivation and stopped doing it.  Lately, I have been feeling really sluggish and as if my day has no purpose, so this week I decided it was time to get back to the gym.

 

Although I enjoyed doing home workouts, there is something about the gym that gets me more motivated to work hard.  Maybe it’s because I am surrounded by people getting fit and healthy and it pushes me to do the same! That’s why instead of continuing with home workouts I wanted to go back to that surrounding as I knew it would push me.

 

My mum is a manager of a gym and so told me all about the safety measures in place such as boxes around workout areas to maintain the 2 metre distance, sanitising stations and extra spray/ blue roll to clean equipment before and after use. Although I knew what was there, I was still a little nervous as change can always be daunting.

 

Despite the clubroom looking emptier and the gym covered in stickers and markers as soon as I saw all the friendly staff and got started, I felt great! It was such a good feeling to get back into it and it was quite funny to see how much weaker I was having not done exercise in a while.

 

My favourite thing to train at the gym is legs and bum and although I do use the machines, I prefer to do most of this on a mat using a resistance band and my own bodyweight.

 

I also love to do HIIT workouts as they are more fun than cardio but still get my heart racing and work all areas of your body.  Over lockdown I discovered the Chloe Ting workouts and they are amazing!  I know she advertises these as a way to target specific areas or to shred, but I don’t do them for that reason and more just to keep active.  I like them as she shows an easier and harder way of doing each exercise so if I am feeling tired that day I can do the low impact one.

 

Now I am back at the gym and hoping to stick at it, one goal I want to set is to improve the strength in my arms.  I am not joking when I say I have no strength in this area…I can barely hold my own bodyweight up and struggle after two knee pushups! So, I will keep you updated on how this goes.... wish me luck! 

Due to being back at work full time and having other bits on during the week I have decided I am going to try and go to the gym 3 times a week.  I feel by doing this I won't get bored or too fed up of the gym as I would do if I went everyday. 

 

I hope you enjoyed this post, please like and comment if you did.  I would love to know what your favourite workouts are!

Daily Makeup Routine

I have always loved doing my makeup and recently when my cousins came to visit,I had so much fun showing them what products I use every day and how I do my makeup.  I remember when I was about 16 and I was watching endless Youtube videos and reading so many blogs about makeup and which products people liked to use and how they did their makeup on a daily basis.  So, as a follow on from my blog post about my Current Favourite Makeup Products, I thought I would share with you my daily makeup routine. 

I do want to point out that I am in no way a makeup professional and this is just how I like to do it with the products I like and what works best for me. 

I am going to chat about what products I use and what I use to apply them here and If you would like to watch how I put on my makeup, head on over to my blog @sweetpea97.blog and check it out! 

Before I do my makeup, I wash my face and moisturise (I will chat more about this in a future blog post).  I always find this helps my makeup apply better and stay on longer. 

When doing my makeup I like to start with the base as I find if I get the base right the rest just seems to follow suit. 

First off I use the collection lasting perfection concealer in the shade fair to cover my under eye bags and any spots. I swear by this concealer and have used it for as long as I can remember! It has such good coverage and is a bargin price!  I use my Beaty blender from Real Techniques to blend this in. 

                                                                   Superdrug = £4.19

Next I go in with the RIMMEL Lasting Finish foundation in the shade 200 soft beige.  I have used this foundation for years as I feel it sits well on my skin and blends perfectly to give a natural look.  I have switched between using a damp beauty blender and a brush to blend this in but at the moment I like to use the Real Techniques expert face brush.

    

                                            Superdrug = £8.99

As I feel a bit more insecure about my under eyes, I like to go back in with the collection lasting perfection concealer to brighten this area further. 

To set this all, I use the Rimmel stay matte powder in the shade translucent.  I find this sets my foundation and concealer really well and doesn’t make it look cakey. 

                                            Superdrug = £3.99

I then continue with my base and move onto bronzer which has been my favourite thing to apply this summer to give my face a bit more and look more alive! I current use two: HOOLA bronzer and NARS Laguna.  I find they are both easy to apply with the HOOLA being more pigmented so I try to use a bit at a time and build.  I like to use the HOOLA to add the initial colour to my face but I do blend it out a fair bit as I find it does have more warmer tones and can make me look orange if I don’t.  I then add the NARS Laguna to make me more alive but not look so orange as it has more cooler undertones to it. 

John Lewis = £27.00

NARS Cosmetics = £31.00

Once this is blended I like to define my cheek bones with the Sleek contour kit and an urban decay contour brush.  I try to use cooler tones as I have quite pale skin and this is perfect! 

                                            Boots = £5.00

I then move on to blusher and I am currently loving NARS orgasm as although very pigmented, when applied a little bit at a time gives your cheeks a lovely rosy glow with the hint of gold in it. 

                                                                  John Lewis = £25.00

To finish my face I use the Sleek highlighter palette.  Sadly they don’t have the one I use so I couldn’t show a picture, but they are very pretty shimmery shades and creamy so easy to apply with your finger. 

I then move on to brows and use Benefit Full Proof Brow Powder in the shade medium with a real techniques angled brush. It is great for getting that ombré affect and the colours are very pigmented so last all day. 

                                                               Boots = £22.50

To set my brows I use the gimme brow which again I have used forever and often just wear this on its own too! 

                                                Boots = £22.50 

Mascara is definitely my favourite makeup as I feel it completes my look and I love how it opens up my eyes.  I have tried a few different brands both high end and high street and am currently living Benefit Roller Lash.  It is not too clumpy and is easy to apply with a great applicator. 

                                        Benefit Cosmetics = £22.50

I then finish with a bit of lipgloss and ta da, makeup complete!

I hope you enjoyed this post and the video over on my Instagram, if you could give this post a like and comment your favourite daily makeup products that would be great!  

Making my own t-shirt

I have always tried to save money where I can and recently I have tried to think about way in which I can save money when it comes to clothing. With winer coming up I have been looking for cute tees which I can pair with lots of outfits and use for layering.  However, lots of the graphic tees I found where so expensive for what they were and it got me thinking, maybe I could make my own and save a bit of money. 

I was lucky to find a white t-shirt in the sale from Miss Selfridge for about £6 - bargin!  And I already had some photo transfer paper from an old art project. Now all I had to do was find a photo and transfer it on.... easy right.... not for this girl. 

The image I wanted to use was from when I went to Disneyland in Paris. Now I know what you may be thinking, why would you want to have a picture of yourself on your top, but it only shows the back of me so you can't really tell.  I had to measure it as best I could and print it backwards so it would come out the right way once printed on the t-shirt.  

Next, I had to place the image face down on the t-shirt and use the iron to transfer the image onto the t-shirt.  This sounds easy, but for some reason I just could get it to transfer!  I even got my mum to have a go but every time we peeled off a tiny bit of the corner to see if it had transferred, the image just came up with the paper.  After a good half an hour of ironing and pressing the heat hard onto the paper, I gave up and decided to go for the faded look!  

Although it didn't come out quite how I would have liked, I do think the faded look with a pair of mom jeans looks cute and I have decided to keep it. 

I would love to know if you have made any your own clothing and any tips you may have.  Hopefully your home made clothing comes out better than mine! 

Current Favourite Makeup Products

These past few days have been spent unpacking and although at first thought this may seem boring, something I have loved doing is unpacking and organising my makeup!  This week I thought I would share with you some of my current favourite products.

I have recently discovered the L'Oreal Glow Cherie and I love it! It is great to apply under your base to give you that extra glow.  I have even worn this on a more relaxed makeup day with just concealer and no foundation and it had good coverage and was lightweight on my skin too. 

One of my all time favourite products has to be the collection lasting perfection concealer, I have used it since I was 16 and it never fails me. It is perfect for covering under eye bags and any spots or blemishes you wish to hide. It new packaging is amazing too! 

Another product I have had for a while but recently re-discovered when unpacking is the NARS Bronzer in the shade Laguna.  The packaging is gorgeous and the makeup is even better!  I am no makeup expert but I would say this has cooler tones in it which is perfect to use all year round.  It applies easy and blends well too which is a bonus for when I am rushing to get ready in the morning haha! 

Blusher is something I don't often wear, but this summer I have fallen back in love with the NARS blush in the shade Orgasm.  For someone who doesn't wear blusher all the time, this one can look a bit scary at first as it is a rather bright pink with a lot of shimmer in it.  But, when applied with the right brush and with a lighter touch this is perfect to give you a bit of colour on a summer day and I would defiantly recommend it. 

Speaking of shimmer, my current favourite highlighter pallet is another one I have re-discovered whilst organising my makeup. I have swapped between powder and cream highlighters for a while now and at the moment I am using the Sleek highlighter palette which is a creamier texture.  It has 4 beautiful colours ranging from white to a sparkly pink and they look even better once applied!  I like to use my finger when using cream highlighter as I feel it blends better and the colour stands out more, this is no exception. 

Something I have loved for a while now is liquid lipsticks and my latest find one of my favourites!  The Mellow Cosmetic liquid lipstick in the shade Shanghai is so easy to apply and the colour is gorgeous.  I would say this is more of an autumnal colour, but I love it so much I have been wearing it in summer too! 

So, these are some of my current fav makeup products. I would love to know if you have tried any of these or what some of your favourite makeup products are.

Moving out

This week has seen a great change in my life as I have moved in with my boyfriend! We are very lucky in that he has an annex in the bottom of his garden which during lockdown was transformed into our own little space complete with a bathroom, bedroom and living area whilst we save for a proper house.  I have learnt so much during this process and so I thought I would share with you some tips I found as I enter this next step of adult life!

Tip 1 – Know your budget – Moving into your own place whether it be a house, flat or annex is expensive! Especially is it is newly built like ours was.  Things like flooring, paint and furniture is a lot more expensive than you may first think so it is always good to have a rough idea on how much you would like to spend. 

With this in mind, I would also say do your research to find out what you need and work out your budget. I did not realise how much stuff you need! I thought a bit of paint, carpet and wooden flooring would do but no, you need underlay, grippers, door separator thingies (I still don’t know all the things haha!) and it is the little bits like this that can make costs increase especially if you didn’t know you needed them.

If you are moving in with someone else, I would also say it is essential to discuss this together and how you are going to pay for things such as splitting it or monthly payments.

Tip 2 – Choose a theme – Many people would say this is a classic girl thing to say, but my boyfriend was just as excited about getting everything to match and look nice. We discussed it together along with looking at lighting, space and have chosen white, grey and black with hints of colour such as yellow. I found apps such as Pinterest and Instagram so helpful when doing this!

Tip 3 – Shop around – I felt like a proper adult shopping for things like furniture and flooring and it was very exciting!  However, a very important tip I learn would be: don’t just buy the first thing you see because it looks nice or it is cheap. 

We nearly made this mistake on flooring as we found a deal which we thought was good and nearly went for it as the deal was going to end in a few days.  But after talking to my parents, we found there were so many more options out there such as offcuts of carpets or laying flooring down ourselves and ended up finding a much cheaper deal with just as good quality saving us around £200!

So, shop around take pictures and compare prices, talk to friends and family and see what is the best option for you.

Tip 4 – Measure before you buy! Always make sure you have the space before you buy something as there is nothing more frustrating than putting it together to find it won’t fit.  I would also recommend testing paint to before committing to buying a big tub. We just used the roller samples and they were great!

Tip 5 – There are lots of things you take for granted that you forget about such as Wifi, TV, toiletries so remember to take these into consideration when moving especially when thinking about your budget too!

Tip 6 – Discuss -Make sure you are constantly chatting about ideas, making sure things are right, making sure you are both happy.

Tip 7 - Have fun! 

I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful.  If you would like to know any more information about moving please let me know in the comments! 

 

The New Normal

The UK is coming out of lockdown and things are quite different as we enter a new normal. With safety and the public's health being a big priority we are seeing a lot of changes to daily life in order to keep us safe.  The latest change is the new rule making face covering mandatory when in public places like shops. 

When I first heard this rule I wasn't sure how to feel, I had worn a disposable face mask a few weeks ago when going to the doctors and if i'm being honest I didn't like it.  It made me more aware of my breathing, made me feel a little claustrophobic and it was so big it nearly covered my eyes making it hard to see.  But, with the new rule in place I ordered myself a few different masks and wore them around the house to get use to it.  Although it is not the normal we are used to, wearing them around the house defiantly helped and I feel more comfortable wearing one.  

So, if you are a bit nervous about wearing a mask here are some tips: 

• Get ones that reflect you - There are so many places out there selling masks, so you don't just have to get a boring one.  You can get lots of cute prints and colours to match every outfit or you can make you own! 

• Wear them round the house first - I found by doing this I could get used to the feeling of wearing a mask so it doesn't feel as claustrophobic anymore. Just make sure you wash it before then wearing it in public. 

• Get one that fits you - When wearing a disposable mask at the doctors a few weeks ago, it was so big it made it more uncomfortable.  So, if you have a slightly small head like I do, you can either make your own or I would recommend trying a children's one.  I found these are much smaller but still cover my mouth and nose meaning it is protective and I can see too! 

• Don't worry about what people think - Now this is a mandatory rule, everyone will be wearing one so you won't be the only one.  We are all in this together!

I thought I would share with you some of the masks I have bought to wear: 

•  This one is from Boohoo and it is a super cute rainbow one!

• This one is also from boohoo and is a tie dye affect with pink, green, blue and white making it great for any outfit. 

• This one os actually a children's mask from GAP.  You can see it is a lot smaller than the other two which is more comfortable as it doesn't cover the bottom of my eyes.  This one was from a pack of three, however I gave the other two to my sister as she is like me and has a small head! This one is my favourite as it is blue and white with a tie dye/ cloud affect. 

To keep them all in one place I have simply put a command strip on the inside of my wardrobe door and they all hang nicely there.

I hope you found this weeks blog post helpful, especially if you are feeling anxious about wearing a mask. I would love to see some of the ones you will be wearing!