The Christmas Post 2012

Hello lovelies, 

I haven't really taken the pictures I wanted, but I feel like I need to do a Christmas post today to get it out of the way by next year. I love Christmas but I feel a bit conflicted when you say goodbye to one year and hello to another with the decorations still up and Christmas hanging around, so likewise I didn't want to be blogging about Xmas when we're in 2013. 

L-R: Fingerless gloves, Revlon mirror, Next baubles, Lush Hello Gorgeous set, bamboo socks, balls again, what I'm reading, pressies. 

Here's a snapshot of what I got for Xmas. Like my birthday I mostly had money which I have many plans for already, but I also got the odd few bits above. 

Lauren x

Merry Christmas To All And To All A Good Night...

Evening lovelies, 

Just a quickie to say Merry Christmas and all that, even though it's a bit late. Hope it's been a good day. It was a quiet one for me as our family didn't all get together this year and even when we do there still aren't that many of us to be honest. I've been dipping in and out of t'internet all day and love seeing people's Crimbo pics of silly but adorable jumpers and an abundance of pets wearing tinsel, etc :) I'm ending the day watching some TV taped from earlier (OMG at Dowton!) and then tomorrow I'm off to the sales which is either mad or genius, can't decide.

Merry Christmas! 

Lauren x 

Xmas Party Outfit Blogger Comp with FashionVouchers.com

Hello lovelies, 

FashionVouchers.com are hosting another competition for the chance to win £100 of vouchers. All you have to do is choose one of their retailers and put together a Xmas party outfit for £100 or less. 

I chose New Look because they've got some excellent reductions on their party wear and there's a great range. This outfit comes to just under £97!

L-R: Black Top £12, Faux Fur Jacket £34.99, Black Courts £19.99, Sequin Skirt £10, Silver Beaded Clutch £19.99. 

I have a major obsession with sequins at the moment, particularly sequinned skirts. The colour makes this one perfect for the festive season. I think the black top looks quite sophisticated due to the lace insert and sheer sleeves. Don't even get me started on the fur jacket, I would love to own one, it's gorgeous. I finished the outfit off with a pair of classic black courts that you really can't go wrong with and a sparkly art deco style clutch. What do you think?

If you fancy doing this challenge too you can find the details via this link. You'll have to be fast though as tomorrow is the closing date!

Lauren x

Soap and Glory: The Best of All Gift Set @ Boots

Hello lovelies, 

This is just a quick post to show you what I got today. When I say I got this today what I really mean is that I got my mum to buy it for me for Xmas and I had a quick look at it before she took it away  from me again! There's been a lot of hype around this set and it's sold out online already., For those of you who don't know, it's Boots Star Gift this week which means it's £27 instead of £60. I've never tried any Soap and Glory before (I know, I'm years behind) but this was the perfect opportunity and I can't wait to get it back and try everything out.

So anyway, as I haven't tried any of it yet I can't tell you what it's like or anything, but I wanted to tell you about the vouchers inside. I was really surprised to find that you get nearly 10 different vouchers to use during the first 3 months of 2013. Some are money off and the majority are extra advantage card points when you spend on certain things such as 'facial skincare' or 'indulgent bathing'. These will be so tempting and will give me the excuse to try even more of the range. 

First impressions are that it's a really really good offer. You get a lot of product for your money. Even if you bought the products individually on the 3 for 2 offer at the moment you'd still be spending way more. It works out £3 per item not including the bag so would even be good for splitting up for birthdays or Christmas. 

Before you ask, I don't work for Boots. I just think it's a great offer and am happy that I'm getting it :)

Thank you by the way for the birthday messages I received yesterday, I had a lovely day and will be doing a post with presents etc tomorrow hopefully. 

Lauren x 

P.S. Sorry about the rubbish picture quality, they're a combination of poor lighting and an even poorer photographer.

What's Occuring? A Catch Up.

Hello lovelies, 

So as I haven't blogged for a week I thought I'd do a post with some random bits and bobs in it about my week and what I've been doing recently. Time seems to be flying, I can't believe it's already the 8th of December and I haven't got my decorations up or done my shoppoing yet - I wish I could say I'm an early bird but I'm not. I'd like to get it done by the 13th which is my birthday :) Hopefully I'll get that sorted in the next couple days. 

Here are a few pics from my week, I've just discovered pixlr.com, it's fab!

1. Giant fake tree at a local shop, so tall I couldn't get the top in the pic. 

2. I can't get enough of these M&S biscuits, they're so moreish!

3. Every year our village has a wreath making morning at the hall and this is the one we made this morning.

4. What I'm reading at the moment.

The best bit of my week was on Thursday when I went with my sister to her 20 week baby scan. I haven't stepped foot in a hospital for nearly 10 years because they really set off my anxiety and I get very panicky, I normally avoid them at all costs but this was something  I was adament I was going to do. I'm so so glad that I went with her because it was amazing. This is the one where they check to see if everything's formed properly and the sonographer spent a long time looking at different organs from all sorts of angles and explaining to us what she was looking for and what we were looking at. We got to see the heart (which they check for holes), kidneys, brain, etc. We even saw the lips because they check for signs of clefting. 

Towards the end of the session my sister was asked if she wanted to find out the sex. She's been back and forth on whether she wanted to know but finally decided that she would find out...

It's a girl!

I'm so excited for her arrival in April because it will be the first time I'm an aunty and we don't have any kids in our family yet :) 

On a completely unrelated note, I also wanted to share this that I came across on Pinterest because it's popped up in my head a lot since I saw it and it's really good advice to bear in mind if you're a bit of a worrier like me.

Hope you enjoy the weekend whatever you're up to and speak to you soon :)

Lauren x 

Christmas Treats for Me and You

Another day another gift list. Or at least that's how it seems when I log onto my blogger feed. Don't get me wrong, I like looking at them, but I just thought I'd do something different. So with that in mind I've picked out a few things that I think are perfect pre-Christmas treats to get yourself. 

L-R:

 Cath Kidston Mug, £6. 

Christmas Cushion, ,£3.99 Dunelm Mill. 

With Love At Christmas, £4.33 Amazon.

Ciate Advent Calendar, £38, Selfridges

Yankee Christmas Tree medium jar, £15.49, Yankeedirect.com

Lauren x

Winter Tag

Winter Tag!

I saw this tag over on Rose-Marie's blog and thought I'd do it too :)

1. Favourite Winter Nail Polish?
I'm really loving my new Natural Collection Black Cherry that I posted about here. Such a bargain and the perfect winter colour.

2. Favourite Winter lip product?
Good old Palmer's cocoa butter lip balm, great for keeping the chaps away ;)

3. Most worn Winter clothing piece?
Aside from my quilted jacket which is super snug, it would have to be my oversized owl jumper (pic here).

4. Most worn Winter accessory?
A scarf which I bought from Primark a few years back. It goes with pretty much everything and has had  so much wear for the few quid I paid.

5. Favourite winter scent/candle?
I haven't even burned it yet, but I have a Yankee 'Christmas Tree' candle waiting to be used that smells so so good. I love the smell of Christmas trees and as we don't have a real one it will make things a bit more authentic!

6. Favourite Winter beverage?

You can't beat hot chocolate with marshmallows. I don't drink tea or coffee so I can get away with drinking a lot of this :)

7. All time favorite Christmas/Holiday movie?
This is tough. The first two Home Alone films always remind me of Christmas and I've watched them year in year out. For something in your face Christmassy I'd have to say Elf. 

8. Favourite Christmas/Holiday song?
Fairytale of New York. The lyrics are excellent and completely different to all the other Christmas songs. 

9. Favourite Holiday food/treat?
I know they're not traditional, but Cheeselets. You don't tend to see them the rest of the year so I have to get my fill while they're around. 

10. What is your favourite Christmas decoration this year? 
It will probably be the tree, Christmas isn't Christmas without a tree!

11. What's at the top of your Christmas list?
Nothing that exciting but that's because it's my birthday two weeks before and I'm hopefully getting a camera. 

12. What are your plans for the holidays this year?
I'm not sure what's happening on Christmas day yet but I've got a few things planned in the run up, including my first ever Christmas market and attempting to make a cake!

If you do the tag too let me know!

Lauren x