April Monthly Round Up

A collection of my favourite things from the month of April

The last month has been pretty hectic in one way or another! Although I’ve still been quite unwell, there seemed to be a lot of things going on around me. I had my gallbladder surgery and ended up staying in hospital longer than planned due to a few complications, and we obviously had Easter, which is always quite a big celebration in our house. I’ve got quite a few favourite things to share with you this time, despite it not being a particularly great month. I guess there’s a lot to be said for looking for the good in every situation. I’ll start with these amazing green teas I was sent by Twinings to try. I’m a bit of a tea addict anyway (mainly flavoured teas, although you can’t beat a good cup of normal tea!) so was excited to try their new range of flavoured green teas. To be honest I was a little dubious about them being green teas, as I didn’t think the particular flavours would compliment that sort of tea. How wrong was I?! After trying all three (Salted Caramel, Gingerbread and Caramelised Apple) I can tell you that they are seriously yummy. It’s pretty difficult to pick a favourite, but I think the gingerbread just steals the top spot! I can definitely see myself picking up some boxes to enjoy a bit later in the year as the weather begins to get colder again.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll probably already know how much I like getting post (and lets be honest, who doesn’t?!) This month I’ve been incredibly blessed to receive some lovely ‘Get Well’ post from some of my beautiful friends. I’m always amazed at how kind and generous people can be, especially friends I’ve met through illness, whom are all struggling with their own health problems. Happy post from friends really does make the day a little less dark and gloomy.

This card was from my lovely friend, Leanne

Along with some lovely happy post from friends, my Mum has done a fantastic job of helping me keep my spirits up. One way she does this is to make sure the house is always full of beautiful fresh flowers, like these gerberas, which are one of my favourite flowers. In my opinion, you can’t feel sad when you have delightful colours like these to look at! I especially love Spring because wherever you look you are greeted by bursts of colour and fragrance. When I peep out into our back garden, I’m met with a blanket of yellow and orange, as the various daffodils we have sway in the breeze. And when my Mum or Dad have taken me out in the car (usually to a medical appointment) the fields around us are lined with a rainbow of colours, from bluebells to crocuses and tulips.

A few days ago I was browsing through my e-mails (and trying to catch up with the backlog from when I was in hospital – it’s taking a while!) when I came across a message from Beat. I’m always interested to read e-mails from them, as I like to keep up with the latest news regarding Eating Disorders, but am also a research and media volunteer, so try to keep up with the projects they have running. However, when I opened it I found it was a personal message, addressed just to me. I think I actually squealed with delight as I read through the words, only to find out I have been nominated for a Beat Volunteer Award for the work I have done in raising awareness in the media. I thought that would be it, as they said they’d get back to me when they’d picked the winner. But, a few days later I received another message inviting me to a drinks reception and awards ceremony at the Houses of Parliament! We don’t know who’s won yet, and I’m not expecting to get any further, but am really excited about their invitation and am keeping everything crossed by health will play ball and allow me to attend.

My final favourite thing from the month of April has to be the gorgeous pink bag I received as a gift at Easter. I’ve got into a habit of keeping a little wish list on my iPad notes, and just add things when I see them. It’s mainly for my own interest, as I tend to find I see things I like and then when I have a bit of money to treat myself, I forget where I saw it! However, my Mum likes to keep up with what’s on my list too, and very kindly treats me to something now and again, usually to try and cheer me up (which, of course, it does!) I’d been having a browse on the River Island website and came across this bag among the new arrivals. You’ve probably already guessed, but pink has always been my favourite colour, so this obviously stood out and went straight onto my wish list. A few weeks later, on Easter Sunday, my Mum presented me with a wrapped up box, and inside was this bag. Let’s just say there was one very happy girly on Easter Sunday!

Things I’ve learnt this month…

+   My poorly friends are just amazing

+   I’m so impressed with Lush’s customer service

+   Crumpets with Marmite are food of the Gods!

+   I don’t think my gallbladder is too happy about being removed

+   Every cloud has a silver lining

+   Life never goes to plan

+   Gerberas always cheer me up

+   Coconut and Vanilla popcorn is awesome!

+   It’s amazing how much you take washing your hair for granted

+   You can’t have Easter without bunnies and Crème Eggs

+   You can still feel alone when surrounded by people

+   Colouring is really therapeutic

+   Is it too much to ask to be able to eat without pain or nausea?

+   Nature is very healing

+   I have an unhealthy obsession with stationery!

+   Surely someone out there must know what’s making me ill?

What to look out for in May

If you’re looking for some new DVD’s to add to your collection in May, you’ve picked a good month! There are some real gems due for release throughout the month, so I thought I’d share a few that I wouldn’t mind adding to my DVD tower. Firstly, on 5^th May comes The Railway Man starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman. It’s actually based on a book and I tend to try and read books first, before seeing the film, so I might try looking out that one. If you’re looking for something serious to get your teeth into, 12 Years a Slave, released on 12^th May, is meant to be incredibly powerful. My brother and his girlfriend saw it in the cinema, so I asked them what they thought. They told me that they wouldn’t say they enjoyed it as such, as it contained a lot of graphic scenes, but they did find it extremely interesting. After watching that, you’ll probably be looking for some light relief, and luckily The Wolf of Wall Street comes out on 19^th May. Again, I’ve not seen it yet, but from seeing the trailers and hearing friends’ reviews, it’s another great film in which Leo will keep you entertained.

I’m always on the lookout for new and exciting beauty products, so when I heard that Kate Moss had developed some new products for Rimmel, I was pretty excited. I decided to do a bit of research to see what was going to be on offer at My Daily, and it’s all looking pretty good! We can expect four new mascaras with the ‘broken-heart’ wands, gel eyeliner and four Shadow Sticks in shimmering shades including these gorgeous looking blue and teal. There will also be five new Lasting Finish lipsticks and four new Salon Pro nail polishes in shades that include Goddess, Seduce and Nymph. They will be available from 14^th May, and I know I’ll be treating myself to a few products from the collection.

If you’re looking for things to do during May half term, there are some great films coming out in the cinema throughout May. Two that I’m particularly looking forward to are both within the realms of fantasy. From 23^rd May you’ll be able to see Dorothy on her mission to rescue her friends from a mean spirited Jester in Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return. I love the original story, so can’t wait to see how it might continue, and the fact that it has Lea Michelle voicing Dorothy is the cherry on top. The other big release I’m looking forward to comes out on 30^th May and stars Angelina Jolie as one of Disney’s more memorable villains, Maleficent. It tells the story behind the villain of Sleeping Beauty and is said to be a tale of beauty, truth and heartache. You can check out a trailer for it .

Lastly, I’d like to share with you a really important event to me, that takes place every May – M.E Awareness Week. This year it runs from 11^th – 17^th May, although some charities focus on the whole month for promoting extra awareness. I’m planning a couple of posts for next month to talk about my experiences of M.E, as it is still such a misunderstood physical illness, but if you’re interested in the mean time, you can take a look at Action for M.E’s website, which is pretty good at explaining the basics. I will also be holding a Virtual Tea Party over on Facebook, to raise money for M.E Research UK and would be so grateful if you could come and join us for a few hours of fun, food and fundraising!

Cupcakes I made a couple of years ago - there will be a competition for my favourite home-made cake photo!

Do you have any favourites or things you’ve learnt in April? What are you looking forward to in May?

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My favourites series - Magazines

I’ve always been a bookworm, but my love of reading hasn’t just been restricted to books alone. I’m the kind of person who will read anything – the back of the cereal packet, articles in the newspaper, stories on the internet and, of course, glossy magazines. I seriously love magazines, and have been reading them since I was a young child.

I remember when I was little; my Mum would occasionally buy us a magazine as a treat. In those days it would be things like Postman Pat or Playdays, and they’d always come with a free plastic toy of some description! As I grew up my magazine choices matured with me, and my favourites became girly choices such as Girl Talk and Mizz. I would spend hours pouring over the pages of cute animals, cringey stories and rather tame problem pages. My room was plastered with posters of baby animals and pop stars like 5ive, Boyzone and S Club 7.

This continued until my teenage years started looming ahead of me, and cute animals and cheesy pop stars began to lose their appeal. My peer group started talking about boys, make-up and shopping, and so my magazine choices adapted to our new interests. At this point, I turned to magazines like Sugar, Shout, J-17 and Sneak, which boasted articles about ‘relationships,’ celebrity gossip, make-up tips and fashion news. I think it was probably around this time that the magazines I was reading started to mention things about sex and adult relationships, albeit in a very sensitive and restricted way, but even so it would have been one of my first encounters of such topics.

Throughout my first few years at senior school I continued to read these glossies, and I remember many an occasion when my friends and I would all huddle round an issue, chatting away about the latest clothes or boy band. However, we were quickly maturing and soon, boy bands and teen make-up tips didn’t suffice, so, I again went looking for new magazines to try. This was the time I came across monthlies like Glamour, Cosmopolitan and Company, and weeklies like Look, Closer and More. They were full of more grown-up versions of the problem page, real-life stories and fashion and beauty tips, and I remember feeling really mature reading them!

So, I guess that pretty much brings me up to the present day. These days, I tend to buy more monthlies, as I find weeklies don’t often give me the variety I’m after. That being said, I will still treat myself to a copy of Look or Grazia now and again! I’m still a Glamour and Cosmopolitan reader, but have widened my choices to other ladies magazines like Elle, Good Housekeeping, Woman & Home and Red. I feel that, at 25, I have my toe dipped in both my old teenage self and my future mature woman self. Glossies like Glamour and Cosmo satisfy my younger self, whereas Good Housekeeping and Red make me feel like a mature lady, while I read about kitchen appliances, baking and money matters.

I honestly don’t know what I’d do if it wasn’t for magazines. I’ll read them anywhere – at the breakfast table, curled up on the sofa or on a long train journey. The great thing about them now is that a lot of them are also available in digital form, so you can have all your favourites downloaded onto one small device. That being said, I would still pick a physical magazine over a digital copy any day. I just love the feeling of picking up a new copy and flicking through the pages!

Have you always been a fan of magazines, or have they never really interested you? Which ones did you read when you were younger, and what are your favourites now?

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Sunday Spotlight - 27th April 2014

This week, I’ve been loving…

Nature

I’ve been trying to get outside a bit as I try to build myself back up, and it’s been lovely seeing the colours of Spring when I do. I’m lucky enough to live right next to some woodland and a nature reserve, so there is no shortage of places to explore. It’s been wonderful wandering through the trees and seeing the bluebells springing up all over the place. On Monday, my parents took me to a local National Trust property, called The Vyne, and the gardens there were bursting with gorgeous flowers of every colour imaginable. They wheeled me through them in my wheelchair, as I’m still rather wobbly, and the aromas from the flowers were quite overwhelming. I think it’s amazing how healing nature can be – I find it can help me feel grounded and relaxed, especially when I’m really struggling with dark thoughts. It also gives me the opportunity to indulge my inner photographer and get snap happy!

Beautiful display of tulips at The Vyne

New shower!

A couple of months ago my shower gave up the ghost. It’s an attachment in my bath, and the fixing somehow went wrong, which meant I could no longer run water into the bath and only a dribble came out of the shower attachment. So, I’ve been stuck having to use a feeble attempt for a shower and not able to enjoy a nice bubbly bath. But, this week, we finally got it sorted and now I am the proud owner of a power shower and a fully functioning bath! I’ve already tested out the shower, which has shown me just how awful my old shower was! And I can’t wait to run myself a lovely warm bath, brimming with bubbles and surrounded by candles that I can relax back into for the first time in ages.

Smash Book planning

You may remember a few weeks ago I wrote about buying myself a Smash Book from Amazon. Problem is, I’ve spent the last few weeks staring at it and flicking through it with a completely blank mind, and just couldn’t decide what to put in it! I thought I’d make a start by decorating the front cover, and thankfully that seemed to get my creative juices flowing. I’ve now decided how I’d like to fill it. I’m going to devote each double page to one month of the year, and fill it with things that represent what I’ve done in that month. I also have a few odd pages for things like ‘About Me’ and my birthday. I’ve stuck post-it notes on each page, so I remember what I’d like to do, and now I’m really excited to get smashing! I’ll keep you up-to-date on how I’m getting on if it’s something you’d be interested in hearing about?!

What has grabbed your attention this week? I love hearing about people’s new discoveries and you may end up sharing something that makes it onto my list next week!

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My Quest for the Perfect Hot Chocolate - Home Edition

As far as I’m concerned, you can’t beat a good hot chocolate. Whether you want a relaxing drink in a café or a warm, comforting drink at home on the sofa, hot chocolate is perfect for all occasions. I remember when I was younger, my Mum would often make me a hot chocolate as a treat before bed, and back then it was Cadbury’s hot chocolate all the way. Fast-forward a few years and the supermarket shelves are stocked full of every type of hot chocolate you could possibly want. As a big hot chocolate fan, I thought I’d start a series of posts documenting my quest to find the perfect hot chocolate! In this post I will be focussing on hot chocolates that can be made at home.

Malteasers

Make with – Milk or water

Available in – Individual sachets or a pouch

Tasting notes – Nice creamy taste, not too watery. This reminded me a bit of a Horlicks drink.

Magic Stars

Make with – Milk

Available in – A pouch

Tasting notes – So tasty! Creamy, chocolaty taste. I love the mini Magic Stars, especially when they melt at the bottom of the mug and you can scoop them out with a spoon!

Options

Make with – Hot water

Available in – Individual sachets and tubs. Flavours include Belgium chocolate, Chocolate Orange, Chocolate Mint, White Chocolate, Turkish Delight, Coconut, Hazelnut, Caramel, Vanilla, Ginger, Choca Mocha, Butterscotch, Toffee and an Indulgence range, which includes Belgian Chocolate, Chocolate Brownie, Cherry, Devilishly Dark, Fudge, Banoffee, Winter Spice.

Tasting notes – Great choice of flavours, but my favourite (Choca Mocha) is no longer available. A bit more watery, depending which flavour you choose, but overall good taste.

Wispa

Make with – Hot water

Available in – Individual sachets and tubs

Tasting notes – One of my favourites. Lovely and bubbly – a great creamy taste.

Cadbury’s Drinking Chocolate

Make with – Milk

Available in – Tubs

Tasting notes – Classic hot chocolate taste. Creamy, with a rich chocolate flavour.

Galaxy Bubbles

Make with – Hot water

Available in – Individual sachets and pouches

Tasting notes – Lives up to it’s bubbly name! Great, creamy, chocolaty taste.

Aero

Make with – Hot water

Available in – Tubs

Tasting notes – Quite bubbly, creamy and a distinctive Aero taste.

Wispa Gold

Make with – Hot water

Available in – Individual sachets and pouches

Tasting notes – Same bubbly, creamy taste of the original Wispa, but with a richer, caramel addition.

Chocolat Charbonnel

Make with – Hot water

Available in – Tins

Tasting notes – Very rich taste. Much less sweet than other brands, but very luxurious.

Galaxy Ripple

Make with – Hot water

Available in – Pouches

Tasting notes – Distinctive Galaxy taste. I particularly love the mini Ripple pieces!

Mars

Make with – Milk (Hot or Cold)

Available in – Pouches

Tasting notes – Nice creamy taste, although I wouldn’t recognise it as that of a Mars bar. Good that it can be enjoyed hot or cold.

Whittards

Make with – Hot milk

Available in – Tubs. Flavours available include Hazelnut White, Amaretto, Crème Brulee, White Chocolate, Luxury, Caramel, Dreamtime, Strawberry White Chocolate, Chilli, Banoffee, Rocky Road, 70% Cocoa, Mint, Orange, Skinny Luxury and Tiramisu.

Tasting notes – Very luxurious with a great variety of flavours to choose from. Not too sweet, but very rich.

That brings me to the end of the hot chocolates I’ve tried out at home! If I had to pick a favourite, I think it would be Wispa, as I love its creamy taste. My least favourite has got to be the Options White Chocolate, as I found it too watery and tasteless.

Keep an eye out for future posts in this series, where I will be going out and about in search of the perfect hot chocolate!

Are you a fan of hot chocolate? What is your favourite ‘at home’ brand? Did you enjoy this post, and would you like to see similar posts in the future? If so, what would you like me to test?!

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Spring has sprung!

I thought I’d try something slightly different today, so you’ll have to let me know what you think of this sort of post! I really love photography. I’m by no means a professional and despite trying to teach myself a bit about the theory of photography, I still just tend to point and shoot with my SLR and hope for the best! I also love nature – I think it can be so healing and calming, so I always try my best to get outside when I can.

Spring is a particularly great time to get out of the house, as hopefully the sun should be shining more and there is so much to see. Beautiful blankets of colour line woodlands as hundreds of varieties of flower bloom. And there’s nothing nicer than seeing all the baby animals that are born during this season – I’m so excited to go to a local farm and see the cute little lambs, ducklings and piglets!

As I’m recovering from my operations, I need to try and build my strength up, so I’ve been trying to get out a bit more. Whether it be a little stroll in the woodland behind my house, or a trip to a local National Trust property, there are so many opportunities to capture the beauty of Spring with your camera. I thought I’d share some of my photos from the last few weeks. I hope you enjoy them!

This beautiful blanket of bluebells is just down the road from where I live

We've managed to grow some snowdrops in the garden this year

I feel incredibly lucky to live in such a beautiful place

Gorgeous variety of crocuses in our garden

You can't have Spring without daffodils!

I thought the colours of this flower were just beautiful

This gorgeous display was at The Vyne, a National Trust property

Absolutely love this colour blossom

Tulips are one of my favourite Spring flower

Have you been enjoying Spring by getting back to nature? What do you like to take photos of?

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A few beauty favourites

I love to read posts by other bloggers that talk about their favourite products, as it always gives me ideas of things to try and it’s nice to hear a real person talk about them, as you know you’re getting an honest review. With that in mind, I thought I’d share a few of my beauty favourites from the month of April!

I’ve been using quite a wide range of products this month – some are fairly new to me, whereas others are trusty old favourites that I’ve had in my cupboard for months, if not years.

SBC Collagen Gel

I received this moisturiser as a gift when I subscribed to Glamour magazine, and to be honest it sat in my cupboard for a few months gathering dust, as I thought it would be too greasy for me. This month I decided to give it a try, as being in hospital has made my skin so dry I thought it could do with something a bit richer. I’m just kicking myself that I didn’t start using it sooner! It is far from greasy. You only need a small squirt to cover your face and décolletage and it feels so cooling and refreshing. I’ve been using it before I go to bed and am impressed by how quickly it sinks into your skin. It has definitely left my skin feeling smooth and plumped, so I’ll definitely be repurchasing this when it runs out!

Avon Sleeptherapy Linen and Room Spray

I’ve had this in my bedside cabinet for years and it’s still not empty! I’ll admit I do go for long periods of not using it, but I’ve not been sleeping well for the last couple of months, so thought I’d bring it back out again. All you need is a few sprits’ before bed on your pillow and the scent really does help you feel relaxed and ready for sleep. I think the more you use it, the more your brain associated the smell with going to sleep, so it’s probably a good idea to continue to use it even when you’re sleeping well. Although I’ve had this a long time, I’m pleased to say that Avon are still selling it.

Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate

When I ordered my hot cloth cleanser last month, I decided to treat myself to a sample of this serum from Liz Earle. I think, once I’ve used up this sample, I’m going to have to buy a larger bottle, as it really is a lovely product. Like the SBC moisturiser, I use this as a treat before I go to bed, and massage a few drops into my face. The smell is divine and so relaxing – the mixture of lavender and chamomile really work well together. It definitely leaves my skin feeling soft and balances oiliness around my t-zone.

Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream

We’ve had Sudocrem in our house since the day I was born, but it’s only fairly recently that I’ve discovered what a wonder-cream it really is! Obviously when we were babies it was used for standard baby ailments like nappy rash. But I’ve found it also works fantastically on breakouts of spots, rashes and general sore areas. If I’ve got a spot coming, I’ll dab a bit on before I go to bed, and the majority of the time, by the next morning the spot has shrunk in size and any redness has been greatly reduced. I’ve noticed that Sudocrem have branched out into other products, so I’ll be looking out for those on my next shopping trip.

Benefit Erase Paste

Over the years I have gone through so many different concealers that I’ve lost count of how many I’ve tried. Although Erase Paste isn’t particularly cheap, I’ve always found myself coming back to it, because it’s just so darn good! It seems to be the only concealer I can find that offers great coverage without looking cakey or orange. I’m a big fan of Benefit anyway, so it doesn’t surprise me that my favourite concealer comes from them!

Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter

I’m a self-confessed Soap and Glory addict, and am yet to find a product of theirs that I don’t like. I was introduced to the brand after a friend gave me a gift box for Christmas one year, and since then I haven’t looked back! Although I love all their products, one of my all-time favourites has got to be The Righteous Butter. It has such a unique scent that you can immediately tell it’s a Soap and Glory product, but most importantly it really does work miracles. I use it as a hand and body cream, and apply it to dry patches like elbows and knees. After a few applications my skin feels soft and supple again, and I just love the way it sinks effortlessly into your skin.

Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

I have a bit of an embarrassing story to tell about this product. When I first received it as part of a gift set, it cam with a couple of lip balms, so I didn’t really bother to read the label. After removing the lid, I assumed it was a different style of lip balm, so I got to work on applying it to my lips. I did think the texture felt a bit odd for a lip balm, and went to put the lid back on, at which point I noticed that it was actually cuticle cream! Please don’t laugh at me! When I realised what it was actually meant to be used for, I have found it so incredibly useful. I often get painful hangnails, which I discovered occur more if your cuticles are too dry, so I started applying this balm regularly and I’ve noticed a big difference. I still get the odd hangnail, but nowhere near as often as I did, and my cuticles look healthy and tidy for once!

Nivea Soothe and Protect Lip Balm (SPF 15)

I started using this lip balm while I was in hospital; because my lips became so dry and chapped I wanted something that would be gentle and soothing on them. This was the perfect choice – after a couple of days my lips were back to their normal, healthy selves and I’ve continued to use it in the hope it will keep them looking nice. It’s also got the added bonus of containing SPF 15, so will protect your lips from the sun, even on those grey miserable days we’ve been getting.

Have you used any of these products, and if so, what do you think of them? Do you have any other favourite products this month?

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