My Favourite Blog Posts #2

In October 2016 I did a blog post looking back and reflecting on my blog and some of the posts I'd written. I think it's nice to go back over your blog sometimes and read some of your older posts to see how far you've come and what you've achieved and I wanted to do the same this year. Last year I chose 5 of my favourite posts that I'd written and just spoke a bit why I loved them so much and I just thought as I've blogged so much this year, I should do the same again. As I've said in lots of my other posts I'm not the biggest and best blogger and probably never will be, but I do work hard on it and it's just good to give yourself a little bit of recognition for what you've done.

Renting (My Tips, Pros & Cons & Experience) 

When I first planned this post I knew I wanted to talk about my renting blog post. I don't do many tips blog posts because I really don't know that much but as I've been renting a flat for almost exactly 3 years now, I felt like that was something I'd learnt a lot about and had some good things to pass on to others who might be hoping to move out soon. Whether you're moving out of your family home, or looking for somewhere to rent after uni, it can be such a stressful thing and so many things can go wrong. In that post I just spoke a bit about my experience with renting and the flat I'm in now, a few of my tips for dealing with estate agents and landlords, and I also went through the pros and cons of renting vs buying. Hopefully it will help a few people as I know I'd have loved to have read something like that a few years ago.

Saving Money For Christmas 

This is a really recent post but I felt so proud of it after I'd written it and it was one I couldn't wait to publish. I've published a few money saving tips posts in the past and I'm no Martin Lewis but I feel I am pretty good at budgeting and finding deals and people are always looking for ways to cut back so I think posts like that are always relevant for someone. With Christmas coming up I thought a post all about ways to save money and how to get things for free could be beneficial for people as this time of year comes around so fast and it can be difficult to afford everything in one go! I always find posts like this so useful so hopefully others do too.

A Day Trip To Leeds

 It's not often we get to go and explore new places just because it can end up costing so much money but in September we decided to explore Leeds for the day as it's not too far away from us and we had such a lovely time. I always try to blog about our days out like that and our weekends away because I love reading back on them so it felt right to do a post about Leeds. It was nice to do a little bit of shopping and treat ourselves and also just do something a bit different for a change. I already can't wait to go back at some point.

2 Nights In London (Buckingham Palace, Wicked & Christmas Shopping)

Following on from my last point, I had to document our London trip towards the end of 2016. It was the first time we had been at Christmas and I'm kind of devastated we're not going back this year! It's already on my list for next year though and reading this post back already makes me feel so excited about it. London is my happy place and it was wonderful to see it at Christmas, it looked magical and when I think back to that trip it makes me so happy. We saw our first west end show and now I've well and truly got the musical bug!

6 Things I've Learnt In 6 Years About Relationships 

George and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary this summer so I wanted to do some sort of post about it and that's when I came up with 6 Things I've Learnt In 6 Years. We've had our fair share of ups and downs so I feel like I've learnt quite a lot about men, relationships and myself and I loved writing it. I hope it's a post people can relate to, and hopefully I'm not the only one who gets annoyed by finding clothes NEXT to the laundry bin, not in it.

The Most Incredible Trip To London

 Another London post! We went for our birthdays at the end of January and again, I couldn't not mention it because it was as the title of it says, incredible and a post I will always look back on. We went to see Wicked again as it was Rachel Tuckers last show as Elphaba and I know it's something we'll both always remember because it genuinely was outstanding. I'm not sure another show will ever live up to it. London posts will forever be my favourite to write and read back and hopefully they'll be loads more to come in the future.

There are actually loads of other posts I wanted to include but I think I picked some good ones. I'm proud of all of them and reading back over them makes me smile. I think with blogging it can be so easy to get disheartened and feel you don't compare to others, I know I feel like that a lot so it's important to take a step back sometimes and look back over what you've achieved!

Do you like to read back old posts? Have you got a favourite blog post?

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Urban Veda Skincare Review*

After not really investing in my skincare and having a proper routine for such a long time, over the last few months I've changed things up and finally got round to finding out what works for me. I started with my DHC Cleansing Oil which has been brilliant for removing makeup and then I added the Indeed Labs products which have been great for reducing pores and making my skin just look much more smooth and even. The latest products I've been trying out are from Urban Veda and they've been a very welcome addition to my skincare routine.

Urban Veda are a skincare brand who are trying to protect our skin with their products from all of the environmental factors we have to deal wtih each day. From excessive central heating to dust, to dirt and even stress, all of these things have a negative impact on our skin and can do some real damage over time, so it's important we look after it and do what we can to protect it. The Urban Veda skincare ranges have been formulated using natural ingredients such as herbs, flowers, fruits and multi vitamins and they all help to maintain your skin's natural balance by infusing it with Omega rich bio oils, antioxidants and vitality boosting fatty acids.

I was sent 3 products to try from the Kapha range which are supposed to be good for mattifying and treating oil and acne prone skin. As I suffer quite badly with spots sometimes, these seemed perfect for me.

The first product I started with was the Exfoliating Facial Polish. I love an exfoliating skincare product, I always find them so enjoyable to use and as it's a scrub I feel I can really cleanse my skin and wash away any bacteria or makeup. This contains natural pumice and ground walnut shell to gently exfoliate your skin and I've found it so refreshing. I think that's because it's enriched with ingredients like witch hazel and tea tree and the scent of those really comes through. I've just been applying this to my face when wet and massaging then rinsing, it takes no time at all but has made a difference. It's been great for removing any impurities and blackheads, which I do have quite a few of and I can tell that it's been removing dead skin cells and leaving my skin in a much better condition. My skin really has improved recently and these have only enhaced that. This scrub has left my skin feeling so soft and fresh afterwards and it's one I'm really looking forward to picking up in full size in the future.

The next product I've been trying is the Facial Wash which is used in the same way as the polish, by applying to a wet face and massaging in. This is supposed to be a brilliant antibacterial and antiseptic product to help treat blackheads aswell as reducing breakouts. As I've just mentioned, I do have blackheads and I tend to break out for a few weeks each month so products that can prevent and reduce that are amazing! This combined with the polish scrub has made my skin feel extremely soft and smooth to touch and as I've noticed a little difference in the general condition of my skin, it's left me feeling much more confident and content with it.

Lastly, I had the Day Cream to try. This is to be used on the face, neck and chest each day after cleansing and toning and can be massaged in like the other products. What I really like about this day cream is that it's really lightweight and doesn't just linger on my skin if that makes sense. I don't tend to reach for day and night creams as in the past I've been able to feel them on my skin afterwards and I hate that, I just want something that will soak into the skin and feel comfortable and this does. Aswell as this it's also really hydrating and that's because the vegetable moisturiser glycerine and and Ayurvedic anti-ageing arjuna work together to lock in moisture and keep your skin hydrated and fresh throughout the day.

Overall, I've loved adding these few bits into my skincare routine and along with the other products I've been using, I do feel they've made a difference and generally my skin looks and feels much smoother. I wouldn't say there has been a dramatic improvement in my spots but as I've been stressed I've just had so many hormonal ones which just can't be stopped by anything! I do feel any blackheads I have, have been reduced though and I certainly think these products are great for that, aswell as keeping your skin hydrated and refreshed. The set I was sent was the Treat Size Set which is £12.99 and brilliant if you're wanting to give these products a try but don't want to spend loads. Not only are these a great size if you're just starting out with Urban Veda, but they are also great to set aside for travelling. They take up very little room so can easily be taken with you on holidays or weekends away.

If you're looking for a new skincare brand to try, I definitely recommend you have a look at Urban Veda and the ranges available. They cater for lots of skin types and you can take a quiz on their website to see exactly which products are best for you!

Have you tried anything from Urban Veda before? What's your go to skincare product?

*Products sent for the purpose of this review. I only work with brands relevant to me and my blog

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Saving Money For Christmas - A Few Of My Tips

This year is going by so fast and I can't believe we are already in November! It's crazy to think that just next month we'll be opening presents and eating Christmas dinner, it's come around so quickly! I definitely don't feel as prepared as I have done previous years so I've been panicking a little bit and trying to come up with a few ways to save money which I thought I'd share with you. These tips are brilliant for anyone, because who doesn't want to save a little bit and have some spare money leftover, especially around this time of year? It can be so tough trying to afford everyones Christmas presents aswell as getting all the food in, on top of the usual monthly bills and expenses, so hopefully these will give you a few ideas on how you can help yourself and make everything a little bit easier over the festive period.

Cashback Sites 

This is something I've gone back and forth with over the last few years but at the moment I'm really dedicated with it and make sure whenever I'm placing an order online, I go through one of the cashback sites. These sites basically reward you for making a purchase and give you a percentage of the order total back. I currently go through Top Cashback and it's so easy to use, you can sign up here with my referral link if you wish and all it means is that whenever I want to place an order online, I go on their website first, search for the retailer and follow their link through to the website. This then tracks my visit and purchase and I'll receive a percentage of it back afterwards. It might only be a small percentage you earn back from each purchase but it all adds up and if you're going online to order something anyway, why not earn a little bit of it back without really having to do anything?! A few people on my Instagram have mentioned recently that they use sites like this throughout the year and by Christmas they've got a decent amount ready to transfer into their bank which covers the cost of all the presents they have to buy!

Survey Sites

 I've been a member of a few survey sites for a few years now and they are absolutely brilliant. Sites like Valued Opinions and Toluna are extremely easy to sign up to and if you check every few days they'll be surveys waiting for you to take, either for points or money. Toluna reward you in points and when these add up to a certain amount you can exchange them for vouchers, I've redeemed several Cineworld and Pizza Hut ones in the past which have been brilliant for weekends with family! Valued Opinions offer money so some surveys are worth about £1, others only 25p and one recently got me over £40! Obviously the surveys offering less money take less time but again it all adds up. I've been really going for it over the last month or so in time for Christmas and so far I've managed to get 4 £10 Boots vouchers, 2 £10 M&S vouchers and 1 £10 Burton voucher. Sites like this are incredible for this time of year, and if you can build up enough vouchers, you could end up getting everyones presents sorted for literally nothing out of your own pocket.

Stock Up Early 

When it comes to shopping for the actual festive food which lets face it, is the best bit, prices can really add up. Not only is there the Christmas dinner to think of, the classic tubs of chocolate, boxes of crackers and bottles of prosecco, they can all can get expensive and if you're buying in one go along with your usual weekly shop, it's going to cost a bomb. From about the start of November, right up until the week of Christmas, I like to add bits each week to the weekly shop meaning the cost is spread out and not as noticeable as it would be if I got it all in my Christmas Eve shop. Just the tubs of chocolate can cost up to £5 each! Things like this I try to get one a week in the food shop over the space of a few weeks and just store in the spare room, after that I'll then stock up on a few savoury snacks, and then the drinks. Also, things like the turkey and dessert if you get frozen, can be bought weeks in advance. It's definitely worth stocking up early on all the food, it makes life so much easier.

Buy Presents In The Sales 

This is something I haven't done much of in the past but I'm definitely going to take advantage of in the boxing day and January sales this year. If you've got a lot of people to buy for then it's such a good idea to get a few different things in the sales and keep them for the following Christmas. Places like Boots do massive sales after the big day and you can find some real bargains. Gift sets for women and men which include bath products, aftershave, makeup etc, are heavily reduced and things that were around £10 at Christmas, are reduced down to about £2. These things don't have expiry dates either and they'll stay in perfect condition so definitely worth stocking up on.

Talk To Your Bank

 You don't have to be struggling for money or in debt to go and have a meeting with your bank, they are there for all sorts of things and can advise you on lots of way to cut back and save money so it's definitely something to consider around this time of year. They can go through your bills with you to see where you might be paying too much for something, and they can take a look into things like your home insurance to check you're getting what you're paying for. Just little things like that can give you a clearer view of what you're actually spending each month. They can also let you know about things like the Save The Change scheme which might not necessarily be something you'd have known about otherwise (I know that was the case for us anyway). This is a particularly good one as it means you just spend as normal and the bank just round things up for you, and put the extra in a savings account. So for example if you spend £4.80 in a shop, automatically your bank would round that up to £5 and put the 20p into the savings account for you. Small things like this really add up and before you know it you've got £20 sitting in that savings account ready to be transferred to use whenever you want. If you wanted to, like with other things I've mentioned, you could let that build up for as long as you want and transfer a much bigger amount than that at Christmas! Talking to someone at the bank doesn't have to be scary, they can just genuinely offer advice on little things you can do to help yourself and let you know about great things like this. 

I think all of that should have you covered when it comes to saving money for Christmas, and I really hope it helps a few of you. I'm definitely no expert when it comes to money, but just like everyone I'm always looking for new ways to cut back without really missing out on anything and I think these are all pretty good ways to do that!

Do you have any money savings tips for Christmas? Do you think any of these will be helpful for you?

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Party Animal Supplies Review*

Baths and Candles, genuinely two things I can't get enough of! I'm always stocking up on bath products to help have a relaxing soak and I'm also always buying candles and wax melts when I already have a flat full! As I love them both so much, I was so happy to be offered the chance to try out a few bits from new store Party Animal Supplies. Party Animal Supplies sell a range of handmade bath products, candles and gifts, all of which are perfect for people like me who love a pamper evening, and I thought I'd get my review up now in time for those who are starting to buy Christmas presents as I think these could be perfect for you.

Party Animal Supplies have a variety of candles and wax melts available and the one I was sent was the Apple Bobbin Melt which is priced at £2.50. I have a burner on the coffee table in our living room and I'm always changing up the wax melts for that so this came at the perfect time. As soon as I opened the little box it came in, I was hit with a strong Granny Smith Apple fragrance and it was beautiful! When burning, this scent only developed even more and it filled the whole flat. It is such a refreshing and zingy scent and really does linger for hours, as it's quite a thick wax melt (40g) too it can burn for such a long time which is a bonus. Aswell as this having an amazing scent and looking pretty too, this wax melt along with all the others available, is 100% vegan and completely handmade. I'm definitely going to order a few more wax melts as this one was so good, I love the look of the Fluffy Clouds one and also the Black Magic one.

The next thing I tried was the Candyfloss Bath Bomb Sherbet Cone which is priced at £3.50. At first I wasn't quite sure what this was as it doesn't look like a normal bath bomb but I actually love that this is a little bit different. It's just basically a whole bath bomb broken up meaning you can add as little or as much as you like to the water, and you don't have to use it all in one go! That's what I love about this compared to a normal bath bomb as usually I end up spending about £5 just on one and then it's gone within minutes, with this not only is it cheaper, you can spread it out, and they recommend around 10g a bath meaning you can get 10 baths out of this! How brilliant is that. I was sent the Candyfloss flavour which is so sweet, and perfect for me. It made the water go a really light pastel pink colour which was lovely and the scent filled the whole bathroom. As this is made for several uses you don't get the bright colours you get with a normal bath bomb though I'm sure if you really wanted too you could add much more than the recommended 10g and get a much darker pink. I like that I've still got a few more uses out of this though and overall it's a really nice product. Aswell as the Candyfloss scent, they also do English Rose, Lovely Lavender and Calming Chamomile.

Lastly, I was sent the Cheeky Cherry Soap which smells incredible! I can't even put into words how nice this is and I find myself going back into the bathroom to smell it all the time. I very rarely pick bars of soap up like this anymore, I just use handwash but this has made me want to start getting them again. Not only does this smell pretty wonderful, it's also enriched with Shea Butter so leaves skin feeling super soft and nourished. Each 100g slice is priced at £3.50 and it's really worth it. It's described on the website as a mouthwatering scent and I think that just about sums it up! I can't wait to get more of this in future.

I'm so impressed with the bits I've tried from Party Animal Supplies and I genuinely can't wait to get more from them in future. I love finding new places that stock affordable bath products as at the moment I feel like the prices of some of my favourites are going up and these are so reasonably priced. Not only do they do the bath bomb cones like I mentioned, they also do proper bath bombs for £3.50 and a whole range of gifts and homeware items like pom pom wreaths, flannel lollipops and more. They really do have some lovely bits that would make perfect gifts this Christmas and you can find more on their website! They've also been kind enough to supply my readers with a discount code too so use the code LOVE10 to get 20% any £10 orders.

What do you think to the things I've mentioned? Are you candle obsessed like me?

*Products sent for the purpose of this review. I only work with brands relevant to me and my blog

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