Thursday 22 May 2014

Travel: Cornwall 2014


First of all, I’d like to thank my lovely guest bloggers for posting last week whilst I was in Cornwall. I had 6 lovely ladies write posts on here so you weren’t left with nothing to read and to be honest, I’ve taken a bit of a back seat with blogging at the moment as I’ve just had so much on. Working, studying and having a poorly 1 year old just don’t give me enough time to sit down and get some blogging done. But, hopefully that’s about to change as I finish my uni module on Tuesday and work is dying down! So… here’s to lots more blogging! 

Today though, is a look back at our week in Cornwall in photos. We had an amazing time, yet again, and the weather was absolutely perfect! It was literally like being in another country, especially when we were on the beach and in the sea! We stay in a little cottage near Bodmin that is ran by a lovely couple, Helen & Rob, and has a selection of 3 cottages and also a larger farmhouse that can sleep up to 8 people. It has an on site hot tub, a fishing lake and summer house and also a little golf putting course too! There is access to BBQ’s and is also only 20 minutes away from towns such as Newquay, Fowey, Looe, Par and Mevagissey with Truro being only 45 minutes away too! If you’re looking for an cheapish  (we paid £290 for 4 nights in a 2 bed cottage), English retreat, I’d hugely recommend staying at one of the Tor View Holiday Cottages and you can find out more by clicking the link or emailing Helen here with my referral. 

Day 1 - Arriving at the Cottage: We arrived around 5:30pm, unloaded the car and had a wander around the grounds. Me & Adam then had a curry and spent a while chilling out in the hot tub. The advantage of the cottage is that you can pop the little one in bed and lock up then go and have a walk or go in the hot tub and know they’re safe. 
Day 2 - Healeys Cyder Farm & Fowey (no photos, we took mostly videos - see the vlog at the end)

Day 3 - Newquay and back at the Cottage: Newquay was so quiet so it was lovely to walk around the town and take a look in the little shops and chill on the beach for the morning and because it was such a nice day, we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon back at the cottage and have a BBQ. 
Day 4 - Looe and Polkerris Beach: Looe is a lovely little fishing village, just like Fowey! It has lots of little gift shops and pasty shops, obviously and also a little beach too! Because we were off to Polkerris in the afternoon, we decided not to go on the beach here and just had a cream tea instead! Polkerris beach is beautiful. It’s small and tucked away in a little cove. There is a pub and a gift shop, that’s it. It’s not commercial and perfect if you have a little one as they can’t run off too far! 

I hope you enjoyed looking back on our trip to Cornwall. We had such an amazing time and really didn’t want to come home! I’m currently in the process of putting together vlogs of the week and have already done Days 1 & 2 so be sure to head over to Youtube and subscribe to get the rest of the days. 



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Thursday 15 May 2014

Guest Post: MyBoyAndI’s Confessions of a New Mom

So whilst the lovely Emma & her family are taking a much needed holiday to Cornwall, I am here on her blog writing a guest post for all you lovely readers. My post is going to be about the things I miss doing or having since my little boy entered my life. I think it is safe to say the main thing is "me time" but I will go into a bit more detail for you in regards to the nitty and gritty things that I miss


Firstly, I will probably have to say I miss being able to do what I want when I want. From taking a nap if I'm tired down to just popping to the shops. To sleep whilst baby naps is a no go, I simply just have too much to do, there is not enough hours in the day and I cannot be wasting them sleeping when there are a ton of other things that need doing. You cannot just pop to the shops when you have a baby, as you have to pack up your whole life just to be able to leave the house. And then there is planning it around feed / nap times. It basically just becomes mission impossible. Basically any simple task in which you were able to do before, you can no longer do. 

Secondly, it's the "pamper time" I miss (and I think I miss this the most). Those nights in which you have to yourself, to wind down and feel human again. Taking a nice hot bath, applying a face mask, plucking your eyebrows, shaving your legs, painting your nails, all the girly things. I cannot remember the last time I had a whole evening to do this, ironically I've never really been a bath person, but now that I don't really have the time to take one, it's all I crave! Another thing I miss is having my hair done. Going down to the hairdressers for a good cut and blow dry, colour being applied, the works! Sitting there and just letting someone make you feel ten times better, oh yes I do miss this. However, not only is it time consuming, it also comes at a price (especially what I used to have done pre-baby) and when I think about having it done again, I end up talking myself out of it by thinking of all the other things I could be spending that money on towards baby! But yes that certainly is one thing I really do miss as my hair bores me now.

Thirdly, I miss my social time. I was never a party girl or one to go out drinking every week. What I miss is just being able to call up my friends and saying "fancy a girly night in?" or go out for a quiet drink somewhere, or have a shopping spree without having to worry about feed times and nappy changes etc. My friends have always been important to me so I always try to make sure that I make the time to see or speak to them. But as all you other mommy's out there will know, it becomes a lot harder than you think when a baby is involved.

Fourthly, I miss the spending quality time with my boyfriend. Having quiet nights to ourselves without having to think of bottles to make up and settling off a baby etc. Being able to say "shall we go to the cinema tonight?" or "let's go out for a meal or nice drink somewhere". You can sometimes forget how important it is to remain that connection with your other half, as when you have a baby your mind is so focused on their needs you tend to forget about each others. But it is highly important to make sure that you still show one another the attention you did prior to baby. Me and my boyfriend always try to make sure we have an hour together at the end of the evening, when baby is fed and settled, to just talk or watch a bit of television, or just to simply lie there in each others company having some quiet time. Just to remind one another that things haven't changed and we are still the same two people we were before my baby boy came into the world.

The Fifth and final thing I miss, is working out. Now I say this last as it's not something I miss hugely, but it is something I used to enjoy doing. I used to go to a class called boogie bounce, which was a workout on trampets and then core training. I would also go swimming once a week and the gym here and there. Since having a baby you simply just do not have the time to do any of this. I did start going to a pole dancing lesson for core training, but that has took a backseat at the moment, however I do really want to get back into doing it as I truly did enjoy it. I am not yet at the weight I want to be after baby, but I am not in a rush or find it a major priority right now to focus on getting into shape. In time I am going to get back into but for now I am happy in just enjoying my time with little one.

So there you have it, the 5 things in which I miss since having my baby boy. But in saying all that, would I switch my life to not have baby so I could have all that back in my life? Easy - NO. I love my life now and becoming a Mom has truly changed me, and for the better. He is my whole world and I love knowing that I have someone there who solely relies on me to look after them and bring them up to the best I can. To see his little smile every morning and to have him snuggle right up to me when he is tired. His laughter and cries, watching as he develops and reaches different milestones. All of that I would miss a hell of a lot more than the things that I have stated above. Yes I am still human and from time to time it would be nice to still be able to do those things,but for the first time in a long time I can genuinely say I am happier than I have ever been and my life feels complete. I would certainly not trade that in for a single, baby free life!

What do you miss most since having a baby?

If you would like to head over to my blog and read more posts related to baby, life etc, then click here. 

Love Heather x

Twitter: @HeatherSue_

Tuesday 13 May 2014

Guest Post: SugarFixxBeauty's Skincare Favourites


Hello Not Your Average readers! 

I’m Kate and I blog over at sugarfixxbeauty.com. Emma kindly asked me to guest post for her and of course I jumped at the chance. I thought I’d let you into my current skincare favourites. If you’d asked me 2 years ago about a skincare favourite, I’d have probably laughed in your face and then been a little embarrassed that I didn’t really look after my skin. Thankfully, I’ve really embraced skincare and my skin is very thankful for it.




Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish 
Clearly, I’d been living under a rock for the longest time. Cleanse and Polish is probably one of the most famous cleansers out there and I finally picked it up a few weeks ago. It’s safe to say I’ve fallen in love with this product - I think the eucalyptus scent is what really drew me to it as it smells really minty and fresh. I love massaging this into dry skin, even the eyes, and then using a hot muslin cloth or flannel to take it off. By using the cloth, my face is given a lovely exfoliation and is left super clean and plumped up. 

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water
It seems all the high street brands are bringing out micellar waters after Bioderma became so coveted in recent years. I do prefer Bioderma but sadly it’s not very widely available and after drying the L’Oreal equivalent, I can say I much prefer the Garnier offering. It’s perfect to use as a double cleanse or if you’re feeling super lazy, just to take off all your make up. It doesn’t leave a greasy film on the skin nor does my face feel tight. It removes even the toughest mascara which deserves a nod in itself.

Soap and Glory Make Yourself Youthful Super Serum
Firstly, can we just take a moment to appreciate the amazing packaging? I wasn’t always a massive fan of the Soap and Glory skincare range but they’ve recently given it a bit of an overhaul and this serum really stood out to me. It smells really fruity and fresh which drew me instantly and it’s a nice consistency as it’s not too thin but sinks in nicely. I used to use it on a night as it has a tacky finish that I preferred for evenings but I’ve been leaning towards using a small amount during the day.  My skin feels very perked up and the serum cleverly acts as a vacuum for my moisturiser meaning my skin feels much more intensively moisturised. 

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo +
What initially seemed like a bit of a fad has turned into a skincare wonder. Yes, everything you hear is absolutely true! I have quite oily skin and I’d break out all the time, especially when my hormones kicked in and since using this (and the original formula) my skin has been pretty zit free for some time. Even more so, I’d have these strange bumps on the surface of my skin which looked horrendous with my foundation and thankfully these disappeared. I’d definitely recommend using Effaclar Duo+ for a few weeks first, I didn’t see an initial difference but then after a few weeks my skin looked completely difference. 

REN Invisible Pores Detox Mask 
I do love a good clay mask and this offering from REN ticks all the boxes. When my skin is feeling a little congested and my pores look the size of the Grand Canyon, this bad boy comes out to play. Whilst this mask can be good for the 'fright factor' it actually works extremely well at drawing out any impurities that may be lurking in my skin and my pores are instantly reduced. I usually apply a nice, thin layer over my face and leave to dry (usually 10mins) before removing with a hot cloth and my skin feels amazing afterwards. It’s not drying in the slightest and I can see the improvement almost instantly with my skin.

Elemis Fresh Skin Tired Eyes Soothing Eye Rescue
I’ve always struggled to find a really good eye cream, or gel in this case - my eyes can be really sensitive especially during the hay fever season and I’ve found a lot irritate my eyes further. Not a good look! Then I came across this little gel and I’ve been really impressed - it really does make my eyes feel de-puffed and soothed. It sinks in well and gives a good amount of hydration too and my under eyes have never been so smooth.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post and thank you again to Emma for allowing me to guest post.

I’d love if you checked out my YouTube channel too - if you click below you can see my latest video! Don’t forget to subscribe :)

Monday 12 May 2014

A little holiday...


So, today we’re off to Cornwall! We’re heading back to the same little cottage we got last year and we’re going until Friday. Up until then, I’ve got some lovely guest bloggers that have written some wonderful things for me and I hope you’ll all head over to their blogs afterwards and give it a little read through too! 


I can’t wait to get my face into some scones and pasties, NOM! 

I’m also going to try and put a few little vlogs together once we’re back of our time down there as i’m enjoying the editing process of watching the clips back. If you haven’t seen my most recent ones, you can watch them below! 

I’m hoping to try and get back into the blogging routine when i’m back but i’ve still got 1 more assignment to get done for uni so will get that out of the way first and then come back once it’s all done. 

Don’t miss me too much!

Wednesday 7 May 2014

I’m still here...

Hi you lovely lot, I just wanted to fill you all in with what’s been going on lately and why I’ve not been blogging as much…
I started my new job at Costa Coffee 4 weeks ago now and although I was hoping for just a few days a week, I’ve been working more than I thought I would which means I’m out from 10am until about 4:30pm and then I have to get home, sort Millie out and have dinner and by the time that’s all done, it’s 8:30/9:00pm and all I want to do is go to bed! 
Along with work, I’m also still studying and have had 2 assignments due in for the end of this month. The first was due yesterday and I managed to get that done on Monday and the other one is going to be a bit of a here and there one to get bits done whenever I can as we’re off to Cornwall next week, I don’t really want to be studying too much whilst we’re away! 
And if that’s not enough, Millie has been teething (again) and her top teeth are making an appearance which is giving us sleepless nights so as you can imagine, sitting down to blog is at the back of my mind at the moment and although I really miss blogging, I literally have no time to do it at the moment! I’m hoping that when I’m back from Cornwall I can get back into the swing of things and also looking to get some guest posts on here too! If you’d like to write a guest post for me, comment or tweet me!
I have lots to review and show you including a hair piece from Sallys Glitz & Glam, some Ombre Extensions from Dirty Works, a 2-3 week Tan from Vita Liberata and some lovely bath products for Millie from Boots! So, I do apologise but at the moment, work and home commitments are coming first but you can see what we got up to for Millie’s Birthday last week over on my Youtube Channel!

 
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Thursday 1 May 2014

OOTD: Flowered Swing Dress


You may think that you’ve seen this dress a few weeks back here, well… You saw the print, this is just a short sleeved version of it. I never actually realised until a few weeks after buying them both but I don’t mind. The longer sleeved one is a skater, dipped hem style, this is a swing dress so it’s super floaty and like I said, has shorter sleeves. I also think this one is more dressy whereas the other, a little more casual. 


Dress - Boohoo
Blazer - New Look
Necklace - Primark
Flatform Sandals - River Island 
Lipstick - MAC Up the Amp

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