June favourites 2015

Hi guys ☺

I love reading these posts so I am hoping to keep doing them monthly but no doubt once I've had the baby this list will be mostly baby things ☺

Revlon colorstay foundation for oily skin

This may have been in my last monthly favourites but I was feeling lazy while writing this and didn't check 😀
I have this in the colour buff chamois which is a perfect match for my skin. The formula is thicker than I remember from years ago when I was obsessed with it but I actually like it that way. The packaging is quite nice, it comes in a glass bottle which allows you to see the exact colour of foundation you're getting as well as how much you have left, with a black lid. The lid is slightly different on the bottles for the normal /dry formula but I prefer this one. I personally think it's quite classy for a drugstore foundation bottle but it doesn't come with a pump so you have to be more careful that you don't pour out more product than you actually need, if revlon were lovely and put a pump on it I think it would be my favourite makeup product ever!
I have been using it without a primer lately and it genuinely lasts all day, it is a high coverage foundation which is what I tend to go for, and doesn't look cakey or too thick if you apply it with a brush (I use the real techniques buffing brush).
I have more high end foundations such as estee lauder double wear foundation and chanel vita lumiere but I genuinely prefer this one for the more everyday look and at only £12ish it is well worth a try!

Clinique take the day off balm

I got this a while ago but when I fell pregnant I stopped using it as I didn't like the smell. Before I was pregnant I didn't think it had a smell but it seemed to develop a minty smell which I hated.
The packaging of this product is super cute, it's a purple tub with silver writing and a silver lid which I, personally, think makes it look gorgeous and high end.
The product itself is a white solid balm that seems to melt when you touch it, and is quite oily when applied but not overly oily.
To use it I use my fingers to get a small amount, and rub it gently all over my face including my eyes. It does feel a bit weird applying an oily product to my face as I have always suffered from excess oil but this seems to actually improve my skin. I use a warm damp face cloth to wash the product off my face and leave it feeling super smooth and clean. This product literally melts makeup off your face, it turns a bit creamy when mixed with water which is why I use a face cloth.
I love this product as it is super easy and quick to use, I would go as far as to say it is as quick as using micellar water which will be perfect for me when the baby comes and I don't have much time to remove makeup or even wash my face properly.
I can't remember how much I actually paid for this but it is probably quite expensive so won't be for everyone, but only a very tiny amount is used each time so the tub will last ages. I used it for a about four months before I got pregnant, took it on holiday with me, and have used it again now and still have nearly a full tub of it so it is very good value for money.

Clinique cleansing face brush

Again, I got this ages ago, I think I got this a few months before I went to Mexico (which I went to October last year) but again stopped using it when I became ill during my first trimester as I didn't have the energy to wash my face for a little while (I did wash by the way just not as thoroughly as previously). JJ recently found this in a bag and told me to start using it again as he had paid £79 for it and didn't want it to be a waste of money, and I'm glad he did as I love it again.
It's basically a cleansing brush with green bristles for the forehead chin and nose and white bristles for the cheeks. The brush vibrates which allows it to clean the skin more thoroughly. It is set on a timer which goes off after 30 seconds, and it comes with instructions that show you how to use it which is perfect.
After using it for a few months last year my skin was the best it had ever been, clear and smooth, and although I have only been using this for about 3 days this month my skin is already better (although this could be hormones).

Lindt white chocolate

Has anyone else been given one of those massive plastic balls filled with lindt chocolate every year for Christmas?I have and it's something I look forward to every year so when I went to York designer outlet last weekend I got a bit overly excited to find out there was a pick n mix! It wasn't the cheapest but it was worth it so I got a few coconut ones, the original ones, one hazelnut and a couple of white chocolate ones and oh my word the white chocolate sweets are things dreams are made of! White chocolate is generally my favourite kind, but some companies get it horribly wrong and it ends up being too sickly, but lindt have it just right ☺ it is perfectly creamy and gorgeous so if anyone is thinking of getting a lindt pick n mix give the white chocolate a chance.

Chocolate milk

I have become slightly addicted to this over the past few weeks as it tastes amazing and helps with my heartburn ☺

Costa peach lemonade

This is another thing that I have become addicted to but unfortunately JJ won't go into town every day just to get me it despite him loving it too! It is the perfect drink for the summer, so cool and refreshing! I feel like I should point out its not fizzy like lemonade (my sister tried one and text me saying 'omg why would you drink this its not even fizzy ) but honestly I prefer it that way!!

Strike back

This is a tv series based on the book by Chris Ryan.  I feel like I should point out that I LOVE Chris Ryan and his books so it's understandable that I also love this show! For those of you who don't know, Chris Ryan was in the SAS  (swoon) and now writes fiction, I think a lot of his books are based on things he went through but loosely based if that makes sense. Anyway, if you like shows about spies and MI6 etc you will probably love this!!I'm currently on season 2, the complete seasons 1-4 are currently available on sky boxsets.
The only thing I don't like about this is the amount of women's boobs present, I'm pretty sure the show would be just as good without all of the sex and half nakedness (although I probably wouldn't be complaining if we got to see the fit soldier naked too 😛).

Quiz up

I discovered this app after someone tweeted about it and I have become addicted!I'm not going to lie and say that I do the general knowledge quiz that often or anything like that, it is all about the Disney movie quiz for me (so far I've only lost a couple of times!) But it's so fun! I don't even mind when I have lost the quiz I just love flaunting my Disney knowledge ☺
If you don't know what this is, it is an app of quizzes on certain subjects, there's probably one for everyone, and you play against someone online. The app looks for people on the same quiz as you and basically pairs you up for a match, there's 7 questions altogether and at the end of the match you can choose to play against the same opponent again or leave that match and find someone else. It probably doesn't sound that good the way I describe it but trust me it's fab! I've convinced my sister and JJ to get it so I can challenge them all of the time (although my sister just keeps challenging me to maths quizzes!).

What are your favourite things this month?

💖xxx

Things I am happy for :June 2015

Hi ☺

I recently read a post by a blogger who had the amazing idea of doing weekly grateful lists (I can't remember who it was but when I find out I will let you know). I wanted to do the same.kind of post but I can't commit to a weekly version so decided to do a monthly version ☺

So this month I am happy for:

☺ starting my maternity leave;
☺ setting up the baby bouncer and play mat
☺going to see the minion movie
☺ having my baby shower
☺ discovering the TV show strike back
☺ going to Sunderland to see my parents
☺ my new new York bedding
☺ getting unexpected presents off the people at work for the baby
☺ going to Liverpool to see JJs family
☺ feeding the deer at the deer farm

Those are 10 things I loved this month, what are yours?

💖xx
Ps if my baby comes early obviously having my baby will be added to this list ☺☺☺ xxx

38 weeks update

Hi ☺

Had my last antenatal appointment this week (for some reason I thought that I had more, I thought that everyone had weekly appointments from 37 weeks till birth but that's it). The baby is 3/5 palpable (2/5 engaged) still, but I swear baby moves further down when I'm walking!
My blood pressure and pulse were fine, and although my haemoglobin is slightly low it is normal for me (my midwife a couple weeks ago said I was slightly anaemic but when I looked at my own results everything was fine....the plus points of being a biomedical scientist ☺).
My bump measured fine, even though it seems to have increased in size a lot over this week! And I have stretch marks now which I'm gutted about! They are on the bottom of the bump though so I can't see them, poor JJ can though and although he says he still finds me attractive he does keep telling me to put bio oil on to get rid of them!
I still keep getting bad back ache and worse pains in my abdomen but they haven't amounted to anything yet even though JJ  keeps trying to bribe the baby to come out this week so we can go to Liverpool next week!
I am finding it harder to walk now, but it is uncomfortable to drive too so I'm in a lose lose situation! We walked to the doctors surgery, then to town then home two days ago and I was in agony by the time I got home!! Yesterday was even worse even though I walked less, I walked to the hospital to meet B for lunch, and walked home then went shopping and my back was in agony! I know that this is normal and every pregnant woman goes through this but I thought I would mention it anyway ☺
I have started to be sick again on a morning which I am gutted about but again this is apparently normal for this time in pregnancy because of the hormonal changes.
I have also started leaking from my boobs more which at first made me feel disgusting but now I've realised it's just normal and natural!
As we haven't had a tour of the labour ward yet (I have been there through work but JJ hasnt) we are going to try and go to their 2 hour tour on Monday where we will get shown around the ward and be able to ask any questions etc. I actually can't wait as I think it will make both me and JJ feel better if we hear about labour and what it's like as none of my midwives have really wanted to talk about it and we haven't been to any antenatal classes because I couldn't get time off work.

Have any of you experienced these things?

💖 xxx

Hillarys blinds...an update

Hi ☺

So as you will know if you regularly read my blog, we finally decided to get some blinds in the house! We have floor to ceiling windows so blinds were definitely required!!
After a few quotes from a few companies we decided to go with hillarys as they seemed the most professional on the day.
Since I wrote that post we received samples in the post of the blinds we were thinking of getting...This was before we had even agreed to go with them!I thought this was such a good idea and I was very very impressed with the company for doing this, especially as we could see and feel the quality for ourselves and take the samples with us when deciding on what colours to paint the rooms!
None of the other companies we got quotes from did this!

Has anyone else got blinds from hillarys? If so, what did you think of the service?

💖 xxx

Perfect summer drinks from Costa coffee

Hi ☺

I don't go into costa coffee a lot as I don't drink coffee and since being pregnant I can't have hot chocolate as I'm sick straight after, but today I have been in twice and had two of the most gorgeous drinks I've ever had!

The first I got while walking to my antenatal appointment as I needed to cool down, and so I got the tropical fruit ice cooler. I did want the peach lemonade but the shop I went to didn't have it yet! I got a small cup for £2.90 which does seem a bit expensive but was worth it as it took me ages to drink!
To be honest all I could taste was pineapple but it was gorgeous, and so refreshing!I think they make it by mixing tropical juice with ice (I'm probably wrong but it is definitely made with ice) so is perfect for a hot summers day!

The second shop we went into I managed to get the peach lemonade. I'm not sure how much this cost as it was JJ who bought it and we got a medium one to share (he had the most!). This is a peachy colour (obviously...I'm not sure what I was expecting! ) and again came over ice. I'm not sure how to describe this other than it didn't have a strong peach taste, it was the perfect amount of peach and lemon mixed together. JJ absolutely loved it and I was lucky to get any at all!This is very unusual for him as he usually doesn't even try new things! Again this was a very refreshing drink and perfect for the summer!! I love peach drinks and homemade type lemonade so combining the two was a genius move so well done costa! I'm sure I will be visiting again very soon!!

Have you tried these drinks?what did you think of them? Or do you have any other drinks perfect for the summer?

💖xxx

Finally getting blinds!!

Hi ☺

If any of you have bought a brand new house (or just moved into a house and wanted to change the decor and blinds etc) you will know how much everything costs! Just over a year ago I bought a new build house (thanks dad for the deposit!) which came with no blinds or curtains or light shades etc (obviously as it was brand new) and had no grass in the garden or anything. Fast forward a year and I still don't have any blinds or grass in the garden...but hopefully that's all about to change!
I would like to point out that this isn't me being really lazy or not wanting to spend money, I had no furniture before moving so had to buy everything from new which costs a lot of money, and I got married and got pregnant which costs a lot too! It does embarrass me when my family come to stay (I haven't had any friends over yet) and they see that we have no blinds etc and the garden is a mess but I just haven't had the money to sort it out.

Anyway, as we are now nearing the end of my pregnancy, I really want everything sorted out! We organised a few people to come round to give us quotes for the blinds, and after a very difficult decision we have decided to go with someone from hillarys blinds. They weren't the cheapest quote, but the man that came round, Paul, was so lovely and talked through the best options for each window. Two of the rooms have floor to ceiling windows, which was obviously going to make blind shopping a bit more complicated than it normally would be, and we have decided to get wood effect venetian blinds in grey so that when they are closed they match the windows from the outside. The other two windows are normal sized and at the back of the house which no one sees, and are the main bedroom and the baby's room so we have opted for blackout blinds.
I didn't know you could get designs on blackout blinds but apparently you can! So we have gone for plain grey in our bedroom (to match the furniture) and we have very colourful polka dot blinds in the babys room as it will match anything that we put in there and will look so cute. I did want bears or butterflies as we saw them with one company but unfortunately hillarys didn't offer this.

We have been told that the blinds will probably be fitted near the end of July so I am going to do a post all about hillarys blinds, the service we received and the quality of the end product when they are installed ☺

💖 xxx

37 weeks update

Hi ☺

Not much has actually changed since last week other than I am getting more frequent braxton hicks contractions now...bit scary until I realised what it actually was!then I just felt silly for not realising sooner 😂
I have been having a lot of back ache and twinges in my abdomen, at one point I thought I was going to go into labour that night but it was all just normal twinges and nothing to get excited about! Now that I am officially full term every slight twinge or ache makes me hope it means the baby is coming soon and as embarrassing as it is I have Googled everything just to check it's all normal!! I am hoping I am not the only first time mother to do this? ☺
I have been feeling more hungry lately, but then also more nauseous (though have only thrown up once so far!!) And I may have finally had cravings if ice cream and chocolate milk count 😉🐷

I have been getting extremely tired this week and have been having little naps in the afternoon, but then I have trouble sleeping through the night due to frequent toilet trips and JJ coming to bed about 4 hours after me and waking me up!

I think we have everything we need for when the baby arrives now, we need to make sure the car seat fits in the car (which it should as it's actually mentioned in the cars official handbook thing) and I still need to pack my maternity bag...but anything else we have forgotten we can get once the baby arrives ☺

I finally convinced JJ that we need blinds in the house for when the baby arrives (we have lived here just over a year and have nothing covering the windows which are floor to ceiling as JJ didn't want any blinds or curtains!!) So we had someone out yesterday to give us a quote and someone is coming out tomorrow for a quote so hopefully we will get it all sorted soon! We are getting blackout blinds in the baby's room and our room (for when the baby sleeps in our room/ when I go back to work and have to work a night shift) and I hadn't realised blackout blinds came in patterns as well as plain so we have chosen a gorgeous design for the baby's room!!

I am so excited and getting very impatient to meet the baby now but I have been told that this is the part of the pregnancy that drags the most and apparently most first timers go over their due date but I am hoping baby comes a little early!

What were you like at 37 weeks?

💖xxx