How I Curl My Hair

Saturday 30 November 2013

Hey Guys!!
 
Hair post day!! I thought for today I would let you guys in on how I curl my hair :)
 
I do wash my hair before curling it normally, this may say sound a little gross, but it does curl a lot better when my hair is a little greasy.
 
The first thing I do is spray all my hair with a heat protection spray, the one I use is from Avon :)

 
To then curl my hair I use my Babyliss straighteners, I use it on the highest heat setting as I do need a lot of heat to curl my hair. I normally section it and curl it but I was short on time so just had to curl it without sectioning it :) To curl it I put the straighteners at the top of my section of hair and curl it that way, I'm not really sure what words to use to describe it :/
 


 
Then once it is all curled I spray it with extra firm hold hairspray :) and scrunch a little bit :)
 
 
This is the finished look for today :) Hope you like it!!
 
How Do You Guys Curl Your Hair?
 
What Products Do You Use?
 
Hope You're Having A Good Week!!
 
See You Soon!!


Christmas Shopping

Friday 29 November 2013

Hey Guys!!!
 
Today is my Travel/Outing post so I thought I would tell how my day of Christmas shopping went.
 
On Tuesday me, my Mum & Nan decided to do our Christmas shopping as we had some High Street Vouchers to use :)
 
Our first lot of Christmas shopping was done over our local retail outlet Spytty, which has shops like Boots, The Perfume Shop, Asda, etc. I think everyone had the same idea and there just seemed to be so many people Christmas shopping as well. It was so nice though wrapping up warm and just the general Christmas-sy feeling about the place. All I got over there was a few presents for Llewellyn as he is actually the only person I had to buy for :) So I got him some clothes, a nice razor which he can use in or out of the shower, a nice aftershave and some DVDs :) I think we spent about an hour over there and we did then become a little hungry :)
 
So cue a lunch break :) We decided to try out the new restaurant that has opened over there, called Decks. This is a help yourself restaurant, so you basically go in, get a table and then you can pick from a carvery, pie of the day, and other meals that are on the menu from the 'buffet', you also get to help yourself to the vegetables on offer. Well I had the vegetarian cottage pie with some carrots and mash, I'm not vegetarian but that was the only pie there that I liked. Well I have to say it was absolutely gorgeous and was so full afterwards, the pie tasted sweet as it had carrots, peas and onions in the middle with gravy, it was gorgeous. I also had a lovely cup of tea with it as well, and it was rather cheap for the meal and tea it came to £7.50, so can't go wrong for that at all. So after we ate it was time to shop again :)
 
We went over to another retail park then as we had to go to Argos as I had to get some presents for Llewellyn and Ieuans' birthday present. That didn't take to long at all so then it was off back to Nans' to enjoy another cup of tea :)
 
Do any of you guys enjoy Christmas Shopping?
 
Do you prefer online shopping or actually going to the stores?
 
Hope You're Having A Good Week!!
 
See You Soon!! 

Cauliflower Cheese

Thursday 28 November 2013

Hey Guys!!
 
So today was cooking day, so decided to make me and Llewellyn a lovely fresh meal. Todays meal was Cauliflower Cheese.
 
I got the recipe off BBC Good Food and you can go to this recipe HERE
 
 
This meal is rather easy to make and all the ingredients you need is cauliflower, cheese, flour, butter, milk and whatever you're having with it, which we had chicken :)
 
Obviously firstly I cut up the cauliflower and put it in a saucepan with water and salt to boil until soft :) While that was happening I got on with doing the cheese sauce :)
 


 
So first off I melted up the butter then added the flour and then whisked it together :) it did amaze me in weird way how the butter and flour went once mixed together :)
 

 
Then I added the milk, you can by the amount in the recipe or you can put in as much as you think necessary, as it will go to a nice thickness when whisked with the flour and butter :)
 
 
Llewellyn grated the cheese as I had to keep whisking so it didn't burn and then added it in :) We added quite a lot of cheese as we like a strong taste of cheese, but you can put however much you like in :)
 

 
I then put the cauliflower into a ovenproof glass dish and poured the sauce over :) it smelt gorgeous and was making my stomach rumble :) I then added a bit of extra cheese on top and put it in the oven for half hour to bake :)
 
Overall this is a very quick and easy meal to make and absolutely delicious :)
 
Hope You're Having A Good Week!!
 
See You Soon!!


My Skincare Routine

Wednesday 27 November 2013

Hey Guys!!
 
Today is Beauty post day so I thought I would let you in on how I look after my skin and show you what products I use :)
 
Morning Routine
For my morning routine I use these Solution products which I get from Avon, I have had these a while so these certain products are not sold anymore :( but there is a new packaging with the cleansing product. So first off I use my exfoliating glove (not pictured) as it gets deep into my pores then and makes my skin a lot softer than if I just used my hand. I put the cleanser on in small circular motions until it looks soapy, then wash it off with warm water. Once I've cleansed I then use the A.M. moisturiser after I've patted my face dry. That's literally my morning routine, so simple and it leaves my skin so soft and looks so clean and hydrated :)
 
Night Routine
 
My night routine is a little more complicated, if that's the word to use, than my morning routine. All the products are from the same range so I'm not mixing any products together. So I use my cleanser the same way as my morning routine but afterwards I use a toner. I put the toner on with cotton wool balls and this just basically removes any excess dirt from my face and neck that the cleanser didn't :) I then use my hydrating gel, which is in the tall box to the left, all over my face and I only need to use such a small amount as it stretches well. After using this my face definitely looks a lot more hydrated and feels a lot softer to :) I then moisturise my eyes, which is the smallest box, same with my hydrating gel I only have to use a tiny amount and it does make my eyes look a lot more 'awake' and fresh, also I don't look so tired :) I then finish off with the P.M. moisturiser and my skin just feels amazing afterwards :)
 
Overall I would definitely recommend this range, I know that some of the products have been discontinued, which makes me sad as I love these products :( but I know the cleanser, toner and moisturiser is still available. I would also recommend it because it makes my skin look amazing especially after a week of use as you can't see much difference in the first few days, though you can feel a difference.The only thing with these products is that they are only available from Avon.
 
What are your skincare routines?
 
Also does your night routine differ from your morning routine?
 
Are there any products you would definitely recommend?
 
Hope You Guys Are Having A Good Week!!
 
See You Soon!!

Book Review: The Hunger Games

Tuesday 26 November 2013

Hey Guys!!
 
I have finished reading The Hunger Games and thought I would let you know what I thought of it. This is going to be a long post so I do hope you will enjoy it and obviously I know other people may have different opinions to me about this book, so let me know what you think as well if you have read it :)
 
At first I thought the same as the film, it was a little bit slow to start, but I think that is because you read the title of the book and expect it to go straight into The Hunger Games. I definitely thought the writing was fantastic, everything was described so great which I was then able to picture completely in my head :)
 
When she introduces Katniss Everdeen you get the immediate impression that she cares very much for her family, as she goes hunting to make sure that there is food on the table for them and then when she volunteers in place of her sister, that then confirms my first impression. I do love that she is smart, independent and determined to survive, which obviously throughout the book you want her to anyway. What was your fist impressions of Katniss?
 
When Peeta Mellark was introduced I wasn't actually sure what to make of his character because she doesn't actually introduce him until he has been picked at the Reaping. During the run up to the Games I thought he was sweet and caring, also that he wasn't very confident in himself as he didn't think he was going to win. Then when he was in the Games and he had teamed up with the Careers I thought ooooo you sneaky boy, as I thought he was going to try and take everyone out to win the Games himself. Then when he saves Katniss life during the tracker jacker part I switched back to liking the character :) What was you first impressions of Peeta? 
 
I also loved in the beginning of the book how hard Katniss Everdeens' life is at the beginning and then she is literally thrown in the deep end when she has to go to the Capitol. When you read it, its like you can picture how much of a stark difference it is between District 12 and the Capitol. Its like you can picture her having to search the woods for hours for food to feed her family, or at least something she can trade. Then when she gets to the Capitol you can then see the stark difference as she can have whatever food she wants at the touch of a button, they have stylists to prepare them for the run up to the Games and just the luxuriousness of being there. As you read it though you can feel the anticipation of the run up to the Games, its like as you read it you know in the back of your mind that they have to still go through the games. What did you think of the differences between District 12 and the Capitol?
 
During the part of the book which is when they are in the Games, I felt tense with anticipation as to what was going to happen and felt I had to keep reading so that I knew what happened next. When they first got in and all the things they needed were presented in front of them I couldn't believe how much of a 'blood bath' it was, especially when you have a vivid imagination like me. Its like you expect it because its a game where you fight until the death and until there's only one left but you don't realise how bloody it is. I felt very tense when the Gamemakers decided to draw the Careers and Katniss together with the fire because I just thought oh god don't get hit or burnt and felt like I was on the edge of my seat. I was so glad then that she managed to get up that tree and then was able to get away from the Careers with the tracker jacker nest even though she got hurt in the process. What did you think of this part of the book?

I don't want to go into to much detail about what happens through the book as you may not have read it yet so I am going to now round it up to my conclusion :)

Overall I thought the writing was fantastic, everything was described in so much detail and in a way that you could picture it all throughout reading which was also fantastic :) I also liked that with all the characters you could relate to them in some sort of way or that you know someone with those characteristics which made me enjoy the book so much more.

I would definitely recommend this book to anybody that enjoys this sort of book and if you haven't read it yet and would like to you can get it from Amazon, WHSmith, Waterstones and anywhere that sells books really. Let me know what you think of the book as well :)

Hope You're Having A Good Week!!!

See You Soon!!!
 
 

Primark Haul: London Outfit

Monday 25 November 2013

Hey Guys!!!
 
Today was a shopping day which means you get a fashion post!!! Yay!!!
 
In just under 2 weeks time I am off to London with Llewellyn for the night for my birthday and really wanted to get a nice new outfit to wear while I'm there :) This is then where Primark comes in, I went shopping with my sisters as they are the best to go shopping with as they will give honest opinions on things and we are all pretty fashion conscious.

 
So I knew I wanted a nice jumper to wear and something different to what I normally go for. I looked at quite a few different jumpers but came across this lovely, soft, wool, black & white striped one. It felt so soft and will definitely be nice and warm for the winter and I think it would be nice going into spring to :) We had a look at it and thought this was perfect and what was different about it was that it has a gold zip on the back which makes it that little different to what I normally get, though I may have to hide it from Chloe as she loved it as well haha This particular jumper was £8
 

 
After picking the perfect jumper I then needed the perfect pair of jeans to go with it :) So we went and had a look at the jeans they had, we seen that they had pale blue ones and grey ones and decided either would look nice with it. I decided to go for the pale blue ones as I do have a lot of dark blue and black jeans. What's nice about these are the fabric is so soft to the touch and they are super skinny but stretch with you rather than stop you being able to move. I tried them on and they are fantastic, I seriously can't wait to wear them!! These were £11 which I think is a bargain for jeans at the moment :)
 
 
We then went upstairs as I wanted to have a look at hats as I am completely obsessed with hats when it comes to winter, plus I wanted one that would match my scarf I already have :) Looking around at them there were a few I liked but this one stood out as it was 'speckly' and different from the plain coloured ones. I especially love that it has 2 pom-poms on it as well :) This one was about £4/5 :)
 
 
Then we went to have a look at the shoes as I wanted a nice smart pair of shoes that will go with everything, not just this outfit. I came across these brogues which I thought looked lovely, they are comfortable as I did try them on and also they will be waterproof, or at least seem waterproof. What's nice as well is that I wanted to get a pair of these a long time ago but never got round to it and now had the perfect excuse to buy some :) This particular pair was £10 :)
 

 
So that is my outfit for London :D I've tried it all on together and it looks great, also everyone really liked it and said it all went well together :)
 
Let me know in the comments what you guys think of this outfit :)
 
Hope You're Having A Good Week!!
 
See You Soon!!
 


My Winter Reading!!

Monday 18 November 2013

Hey Guys!!!

If there is one thing I love doing during the Winter, other than stew, it has got to be curling up with a nice, warm blanket, a cup of tea and a really good book. I could read for hours and hours with a good book in hand and just go off into my own little world, while doing it.

So I thought I would show you what I am going to be reading over the Winter. I have just finished my Lord of the Rings Trilogy, so obviously now need something new to read and thankfully I have a lot of books that I still have yet to read. So I have decided my next reading goal is to complete The Hunger Games Trilogy, I had these as a Christmas present from a friend as she recommended them to me to read.


 
What I am going to do as well, each book that I finish I am going to do a little review on it so that if there is any of you that hasn't read them yet you can see if its worth reading. To be honest I have watched the film and thought the film was fantastic so hopefully the book is just as fantastic :D
 
 
If any of you readers have read it what did you think of the book?
 
 
Now as it doesn't really take me long to read a book, the review will probably be up next week so keep your eyes peeled for that post :D As for right now I am going to go and start the first book :D
 
 


Making Chicken Stew

Sunday 17 November 2013

Hey Guys!!!

So as you seen I made a beef stew the other week, well this week I decided to make a chicken stew. I used the exact same recipe but swapped the beef for chicken, which you can go to HERE.

To do it I fried the chicken off first, like I did with the beef and then chopped the carrots, swede, potatoes and parsnip up and put it all together in the slow cooker. I then added roughly 500ml of water along with 2 chicken OXO cubes and let it cook for 4 hours :D









After it cooked I must say it was absolutely delicious, it also smelt gorgeous to. Of course we had our 2 slices of bread along with haha but next time I do a stew I'm going to make home made bread :D

I hope you've enjoyed this post, I know I didn't go into much detail but I didn't want to feel I was repeating myself from the last post :D

Hope You've All Had A Good Weekend!!!! See You Soon xxx

Making Beef Stew!!!

Wednesday 6 November 2013

Hey Guys!!!

So Winter has officially began in my eyes as I have made my very first stew of the season, as well as my very first stew ever :) Silly me can't seem to find the recipe I used but as soon as I do I will post it in this post :)

I thought that been as though Llewellyn was off work last night I would make a nice, delicious, beef stew. Also I wanted to actually use my slow cooker as it just sits on the counter top not getting used :)

So the vegetables I used for it was 3 carrots, 1 swede and 3 potatoes as you can see below in the picture :) Also I used 400g of stewing beef :)



First off I fried all 400g beef off, turning it brown so that it would cook a bit quicker :)



Once I had done that, I then peeled all the carrots and chopped them in to slices and put them in with the beef :)


I then peeled the potatoes and swede and chopped all them up and put that in with all the beef and carrots :)


Once all the vegetables had been added I then added two beef Oxo cubes and roughly 700ml of water, though you can put as much water in as you need :)




As soon as the water and the Oxo cubes mixed together it started to smell gorgeous, I did stir it round a bit so all the vegetables and beef was mixed together :) The recipe said it would take 8 hours to cook if on low, so I put it on high and it cooked in half the time :) while cooking though the whole flat smelt blooming gorgeous and every time I went in the kitchen I would smell it :)


So after a very long 4 hours it was finally done and I couldn't wait to dish it up into some lovely deep bowls and dip lots of bread in it and just enjoy the lovely warm feeling stew seems to give you :)


In review the recipe was a great one especially as I had never made one before, it was very easy to follow as it was explained in simple terms, though how more simple than chopping and frying can you get haha Eating it was delicious the vegetables were just the right softness and the juice was just the right thickness, well it wasn't to thick or to thin, all in all it was gorgeous :)

Do any of you think its the start of winter when you start making stew? Or is there any traditions that you have for the start of winter?

For me it is definitely the start of winter when you got the smell of stew floating around, some lovely Christmas scented candles burning, and a lovely warm blanket cuddled up with the husband. Also it means my birthday is on its way and so is Christmas :D

Well I Hope You Enjoyed This Post!!! Let Me Know If Any Of You Have Made Stew!!!

See You Soon!!!

Firework Display

Monday 4 November 2013

Hey Guys!!

Bonfire night is looming (its tomorrow!!) and there seems to be a lot of displays going on where we live, so had a lot to choose from. I don't normally like fireworks but I am slowly getting a bit more used to them so we decided to go to a display. We wasn't sure which one to go to as you have to get tickets for some and because it was spur of the moment there wasn't many tickets left.

So Llewellyn came across Caerphilly Castle and saw that they were doing a display and it was a free event, the added bonus was that it is only half hour away from where we live :) So we set off all wrapped up in our coats and jumpers as it was freezing, also when we left it was raining and windy, to go see these fireworks :)

When we got there, there was a lot of people, I'm not to great with crowds especially in a small area, but where we were wasn't to bad, and you could see the fireworks perfectly :) We had to stand up as there was no where to sit and I didn't really want to sit on the wet, muddy grass. It took a while to start, it was meant to start at 7pm, as they were having a few technical difficulties, but when it did start it was amazing!!

The fireworks were fantastic, at one point it looked as if they were above our heads!! If you want to see the display you can watch it HERE on my YouTube channel :)

So here are a few photos, they don't do the fireworks much justice as I did mainly video as it was much easier :)







What are you all doing for Bonfire Night?

See You Soon!! xxxx