The British Tag!

I was just watching a few YouTube videos when I found this tag. I liked the sound it that much and decided that it'd make an interesting blog post. I thought the tag would be fun for me to write and it's something different, so here you go....

1. How many cups of tea a day do you have & how many sugars?
Ok, so anyone who knows me really well or someone that has been to my house will know that I am a tea ADDICT. I'm runner up to my Grandad who drinks tea like there is no tomorrow, which explains where I could have got my love for it from. I recently stopped at my Grandparents house and I lost count of how many cups I had. The bad thing about tea is that it really does stain your teeth so I have little detox weeks/days where I'll drink plain hot water, hot water and a slice of lemon or lime or a peppermint tea. All of the other options are a lot healthier for you as well but I do love a good cuppa. To answer the question simply, I have about 5 a day and no sugar, I'm sweet enough ;)

2. Favourite part of your roast?
My favourite has to be a Yorkshire pudding. I remember when I was younger, if my Mum had made too many Yorkshires, we'd have them for pudding with jam in (sort of like a bowl shaped pancake). I also really like roast potatoes but in all honesty, I love almost every part of a roast dinner.

3. Favourite dunking biscuit?
My favourite biscuit...This is a tricky one and I'm sure not all of my answers are British, but I love a Jammie Dodger, Bourbons and Shortbread

4. Favourite 'British' past time?
I sometimes enjoy walks, not all the time, but I do think of these as a nice thing to do. My parents love walking and we do regular walks around Derbyshire and at local nature reserves. It creates good memories, makes you feel better and is good exercise! I don't always enjoy these walks because my parents will walk from early morning until the evening and you will end up just wanting to lie down, but the feeling once you've sat down from one of their killers is amazing and food always seems to taste better when you've 'earn't it'. I will walk come rain or shine, just get your coat on, put on your wellies and off you go. I also like watching British drama's or soaps (especially with a cup of tea).

5. Favourite 'British' word/phrase?
Flipping 'eck

6. Cockney rhyme or slang that you know?
Recently, I was winding up my Nanna by telling my Grandad that she'd locked him out of his car when she hadn't. The phrase she came up with was a 'tea leaf' which means thief. She was really trying to call me a liar, but I understood what she meant and it made me laugh.

7. Favourite Sweets?
Haribo Tangfastics, Vimto rolls, lots of things

8. What would your pub be called?
I think I would call a pub something traditional like 'The Old Gent', or something different like 'The Lemon Tree', but it'd all depend on what my pub looked like and where it would be built.

9. No.1 British person?
Too many to say, but probably an actor or actress; we have some brilliant ones.

10. Favourite shop or restaurant?
I don't really have a favourite shop, but I enjoy going out to eat with my family. However to me, none of the restaurants are really 'British' bar some of the pubs we go to and of course, some good old fish and chips. I went to George's Fish and Chip Kitchen for my birthday and I love it there so go try it out!

11. British song that pops into your head?
Three Lions football song

12. Marmite?
I like it in small doses and marmite crisp!

Thank you for reading my blog! Sorry if the post seems quite long but I really enjoyed doing this tag and I'd love to hear any of your answers so go ahead and write in the comments section below

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Weekend in Lincoln

Hello again!

So this post is a bit different and a bit more personal. I thought I'd write almost a diary entry of what I got up to a few weeks ago when I visited my friends in Lincoln. I thought it'd be interesting to tell you what we got up to so that you can take inspiration from it if you're planning a trip out, if you're bored or if you like photography because Lincoln is beautiful, especially if the weather is nice.

So me and my boyfriend headed to Nottingham Train Station, planning to get on the 1:30 train to Lincoln. However, with my misjudgment and frantic manner, we ended up getting there over an hour early, silly really but I just wanted to be prepared....some might say a little too prepared. After this little hiccup, we got on the earlier train. If going on an early train journey, I recommend taking some breakfast food and enjoying the scenery. We had croissants but if I'd have thought more about it, I'd have made something of the outing to make it a little nicer. There are lots of little coffee shops around Nottingham as well, so a little stop off at one of these before the train would have made the trip feel a little more relaxing. If you're in a rush, you could always take a flask of tea or take your own drink. I think this is the best option because buying food or drink in the station is often a rip off!

Our first stop was to go and get some food, so we went to a good old, cheap as chips Wetherspoons, the one in Lincoln is called the Ritz. Now I am definitely a saver and I'm often called tight because of this, but I think that if you want a straight up, plain and simple but enjoyable meal, a Wetherspoon is worth a try. The drinks are good, the food is edible, so you can't complain. After feeling thoroughly fed, we headed to the shopping centre. They have a good variety of shops like Primark, H&M and New Look that are easy to get to. There are also some lovely little boutiques and cafes further up, closer to the Cathedral. The aptly named 'steep hill' is the name of the lane, that leads up to the Cathedral and the Castle and if anyone has already been there, you'll know that it is VERY steep- a good workout for you fitness fanatics.

For those who have a sweet tooth, you should visit the chocolate/fudge shop. The cheap skate in me was screaming when I saw my boyfriend (who would eat chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner) exit the shop with a bag of fudge, but it was only around £3.50 for the bag. Some might still say this was a lot, but we'd recently had a bad experience with fudge/nougat, in Nottingham's Market Square- a tip to others, make sure you have the confidence to say NO when stall sellers tell you that what you thought would be £2.50, then returned to be £5....Honestly, some of these market stalls are daylight robbers!

We walked to the Cathedral, which is on the right as you walk to the top and the castle walls are on the left. You have to pay to have tours of the Cathedral and can only enter up to a certain point until you have to pay, however, there are free to enter days. The last time I went in was at Christmas, when Lincoln does a brilliant Christmas Market to get you into the spirit. The Cathedral is massive and beautiful and that's really all I can say about it, since I'm no expert. But it is a good little trip and we were lucky enough to enter when there were some choirs on which just added to the atmosphere.

Our lovely friends had planned for us to go to Madame Waffle the next morning for breakfast. This was a new experience for me as 1) I'd never been to a waffle house and 2) I'd never had anything savory on a waffle. The cheapskate came out once again and I opted for scrambled egg, whilst the others had full English breakfast. I'd recommend going if you're ever passing as they serve all day.

I hope you've enjoyed my little diary entry style blog and I hope it has inspired you to go to Lincoln, have a trip out to somewhere new or to try out some new cafes!

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Stationery/Back to Uni

So although the schools have gone back, a lot of universities haven't so I thought I'd make a little post about some of the stationery items I bought and just a little tip to go with each of them.

1. A plastic wallet

So really, this depends on your workload and how much you're writing. I bought myself a small floral wallet last year from Tesco, for just under a pound I believe. This was before I'd gone to University and didn't realise that just one wallet would not arrange my sheets well enough. However, that one wallet was useful for the sheets/handouts or 'homework pieces' that I was given, so I then started to use it for that (a homework wallet). However if you wanted a wallet for each of your different modules, Wilkinsons had a good deal on a 4 pack of wallets so maybe that's where you'll want to go.

2. Expandable folder

Depending on your course, you might get a lot of work that you need to always have with you. You might want to break down the terms in your modules and be super organised, so I thought I'd add an expandable folder to my list. These folders are usually A4 and are plastic, but you can get paper ones if you wish (these can be quite flimsy). The folder shuts at the front and in this form looks like a thick folder, however when you open this up, there are different slots for you to put papers in so they're a really good idea for a course that has a lot of writing and papers involved.

I've had this folder for years but still does the job! 

3. Display Folder

So recently I got myself one of these after spending quite a long time mulling over the idea of getting one. But I thought it'd be handy for me to see my work as there are sewn in folders. I also thought that it was quite compact and will hopefully be useful. I might make my own separators for each subject as well and just slide them into a pocket.

4. Notepads

So these are pretty essential. If you need to write your lectures, take notes or anything where you'll be writing, you'll need a notepad! I just use a regular A4 one at the minute, with a plastic case for durability and an elastic security band which keeps everything nice and together. I love these because I also used to keep sheets in it and use it as a folder and well as for my writing. HOWEVER!! You might find that buying smaller notepads for each subject is more suitable to you and how you like to organise things. My plan is that I'll write my lecture in my A4 pad, tear out the sheet and put it in my display folder, but if you'd prefer just to have each subject in a different book, go for it!

5. Pens/highlighters/small stationery items

So these are pretty straight forward, you've been using them since school but as you get older, you start to 'forget' your pens or you just take one 'trusty pen'.....Guys, that's really not enough. Buy a pack of three pens, I bought mine for £1 and take all three. Pens run out, pens get lost and everyone knows that one person who asks for a pen before every lecture! Highlighters are quite useful also, especially when it comes to revision time. On my course, the lecturers suggest printing out lecture slides (from the PowerPoint presentations) so going through and highlighting important parts will be really helpful when you go to reflect on what you've learnt.

6. Journal/Planner/Diary

This is just an optional addition but I think these are brilliant. I've featured my journal quite a few times but I'll mention it again because I love it and it's the one that I use the most. It's helpful to write down the weeks plan, to write to do lists and to write down any homework or tasks that you've been set and the date they're in for. You can also find ready made weekly planners and other organisers so it's worth thinking about.

So that's it! They're all my University stationery items. If you think there are more don't hesitate to comment, you can also like this post and follow me on Instagram and Twitter! 

Hope you enjoyed it 

x

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Get Ready With Me- Casual Meal

Hello! So I'm back with another post and for this week I thought I'd do something a bit more beauty related. I thought it'd be a nice idea to show you a get ready with me, so that you can see a bit of my style, how I do my make-up and maybe take some inspiration from it. 

So I started the day/night before by having a nice relaxing shower using my Soap and Glory shower puff and some Baylis & Harding 'skin spa' steam cream wash in the scent 'cherry blossom, oriental lily and lotus flower'. The shower gel smells amazing and lathers up really well when combined the with soap and glory puffs, which is the best one I've ever used. It's quite large and padded so it doesn't separate, which means I can give my body a good exfoliation without any hassle. I then went on to give my hair a good wash with the Alberto Balsam 'Tea Tree Tingle' shampoo. This is super affordable and although it might not be the most expensive product, it still leaves my hair feeling soft, looking shiny and smelling really nicely. Then to finish off I used Aussie's '3 minute miracle' conditioner. I don't usually use this conditioner but it's sometimes a nice treat and really helps to 'restore manageability and shine'- so it does, just what it says on the tin (bottle)! Also it has a bubblegum scent to it which is really nice and sweet.

Then to get ready I brush my teeth just using regular Colgate toothpaste, the one in the picture is the cavity protection one but I like to have a change and use the whitening one from time to time. I don't know if it's just me, but I like to brush my teeth before going out. It makes my breath smell fresh, makes my teeth feel clean and maybe it's a little OCD thing, but I just don't feel ready without doing this step.

I get my skin ready using my cheap and cheerful cleanser and toner from Boots. I say cheap and cheerful because they were both only £1.50 each and I don't think for that price, that they're too bad actually! So I cleanse my skin with the cleanser and a cotton pad to make sure my skin is clean and clear from any excess oils or dirt. Then I tone to close my pores- I love this step as it feels nice and refreshing.

Then I prime my face with No17's Photo Flawless Primer that I got in a set for my birthday. I feel like this creates a barrier between my skin and my make-up and makes my concealer and powder stay on longer because of it. It's got a gel like consistency and glides onto my skin; I then rub it around my face and around my eyes.

Now that my skin is ready I start with my concealer. I switch up my concealer and sometimes use Rimmel Wake Me Up or this one I'm featuring here which is the Collections 'Cover up stick' in 'Natural Beige'. I think this helps to make my dark eye circles lighter and less noticeable. The product itself isn't very dewy like the Rimmel Wake Me Up and is more like a creamy powder so would suit someone who likes more of a matte finish.

After this I take my powder brush and using the Rimmel Natural Bronzer, contour my cheeks a little but then also powder the rest of my face just to give me a nice finish and a healthy tanned glow. I'm not very tanned so this step helps me to not looked washed out. This bronzer is amazing, it has a brilliant shade and leaves your skin glowing without adding visible glitter pigments into the product. Also it has an SPF 15 and is waterproof so overall a brilliant make up addition.

I got this No17 make up collection box, which contains loads of beauty bits like lip glosses, highlights and a bronzer. I think these boxes are great gift ideas because they contain a variety of colours and products, so you can make different looks from them by just using this one box. For this look I am using a baked eye shadow powder. Unfortunately it doesn't give a specific name for this colour but as you can see from the image, it's a shimmery gold with a brown undertone. However, it's often up to personal preference, so get a gold eye shadow that you love and one that suits your skin and you can still recreate this look.

I spread this colour all over my lid and then move onto step two, which is to add the 'natural' eye shadow from the outer corner and blend inwards.

I then finish off the look with a few coats of mascara on the top lashes only. My top tip for getting rid of clumps is by using two mascara's, because the different applicators can separate the clumps left by the other mascara.

So now that my make-up is done, I move onto my hair, or vice versa, depending on how I'm feeling. I take Tresemme's Heat Defence spray with protection up to 230oC (purple box around writing). Heat defence is essential when using heat products on your hair. I have naturally curly hair and like to let it air dry, which is what I did the night before. This meant that all I had to do was to add a few extra curls with my GHD's to complete the look. These are just the original GHD's but I love them and they're my holy grail of heat product. I use these to curl my hair by getting a section of hair that looks a bit straighter than the rest, putting the straighteners at the top of the hair and pulling down whilst turning the straighteners. Once I'm at the end of the hair, I then roll it on itself, wrapping the hair around the straighteners and holding for about five seconds, before slowly releasing the straighteners holding them up vertically and lowering down.

This is what my hair and make up looked like completed

My outfit is a baby pink knitted jumper from New Look which was around £19, my paisley patterned black jeans were from TU at Sainsburys! And my jacket is a black leather Dorothy Perkins jacket that has a detachable fur collar that I got a few years ago. My necklace is an Amethyst crystal that I got from a crystal shop in Tintangel, Cornwall.

So that's it! Look complete! I had a lovely night and had a lovely meal for my Nanna's birthday! Hope you liked this blog and the look I created as my style is very simple and natural. 

Please comment, like and follow and I'll see you soon for another post! 

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