Monthly Archives: August 2016

Purrfectly Purrfect(Box)

30th August 2016
It’s been a little while since Mae and I last received a Purrfect Box and I was suprised to see they’ve had a bit of a make over since April. The new blue box looks great and from the second it arrived Mae couldn’t wait to get stuck in!
For those that don’t yet know the Purrfect Box is a monthly subscription which costs £19.90 a month with options to subscribe for longer periods of time which will reduce the monthly cost slightly. The contents of the box are guaranteed to be worth at least £30 with 4-6 premium products inside so it’s a pretty sweet deal, especially as each box is catered to your feline’s needs and preferences. Let me know if you decide to treat your feline friend to a box. We’ve had a few of these boxes now and are yet to receive one that hasn’t been well worth the money and Mae has amassed a huge collection of favourite toys- most memorably a dolphin that we frequently find in the bath.
The latest box certainly didn’t let us down on the toy front and Mae wore herself out in the process of taking these photos…I later found her curled up on her cushion with the red chasing toy wrapped possessively around her paws- she’s a character, that’s for sure!

Also included in the box was a cooling food bowl which I think is aimed more at dogs but has proven brilliant during this latest patch of decent weather. Mae’s food bowl is situated in the conservatory which does get quite hot when the sun is out. This bowl, after a few hours in the fridge or freezer will keep your pet’s food cool for a good 4-6 hours meaning they can graze as they please without the smell (and I imagine taste) of overheated wet food!

Unusually for her Mae also loved the treats in this box- the chicken liver “pet munchies” are her new favourite thing, she’s ignoring her beloved dreamies in favour of these and she will be sorely disappointed when she has munched her way through the bag! The squeezy pudding treat she isn’t so fond of but hasn’t totally rejected so I’d class that as a win as well.

I think this is probably one of the best all-rounder Purrfect boxes we have recieved and I am delighted to be able to offer all of my blog readers a fantastic £5 discount if you choose to sign up. Simply enter the code ukb1xlvr at the checkout.

Let me know if you sign up and what your feline friend thinks!

end

Posted in cats, life, Mae, review

Permalink 3 Comments

Justifying my Obsession: Versatile Ankle Boots*

26th August 2016
As you all know I am an ankle boots fan. I have a bit of a thing about shoes in general but especially look forward to the colder months when I have an excuse to slip out and buy a new pair of boots to take me through the autumn and winter months.
This year is no different. Given the awful weather we have had recently I decided to start my hunt early and made some fabulous finds. Unfortunately my shoe budget will not allow me to add all of them to my wardrobe so I thought I would tell you about some of them instead.
Boots from ASOS, I couldn’t resist!
Patent leather and other glossy finishes:
For 2016 most designers appear to have opted for leather. This is good news for us consumers because it means that we get to enjoy boots that are comfortable, built to last, and good for foot health.
This type of boot looks great too and there is plenty of choice. You can pick up suede, patent leather and textured finishes- keep an eye out for amazing embellishments too! For the 2016 season many designers have opted for a shiny finish which means you get a super smart look that works equally well for work or a night out.

Sensible yet stylish boots
There are also plenty of sensible boots available this year. You can still buy high heels but most designers have opted to use lower Cuban style heels instead of towering heights. Unusually there is also a good choice of completely flat boots available which is good news for my feet.
If you like to stay active this style of boot is ideal. You can wear them virtually anywhere and they make it a lot easier to cope if you have to stay on your feet all day.

Party boots
As you know I own quite a few (ahem) pairs of ankle boots so you will often see me wearing them at parties. They are particularly good for outdoor bashes because there is no chance of your feet getting cold or damp.
If the party you are attending is a casual affair Cowboy boots are a good choice. They look great with either trousers or jeans. However until this year I did not own a pair. This is because they were normally mid-calf length which isn’t really me. This year that problem has been solved because you can now easily find ankle length Cowboy boots.

The only problem is that they don’t really look right with a dress (unless it’s denim!) Fortunately there are still a few ankle boot designs available that work well when worn with a frock. For example there are some nice open toe shoe boots available which come in a range of shades and designs so you should have no problem matching the colour of your dress.

If you are looking for a fully enclosed boot that is still elegant enough to wear with a skirt it is also worth looking at Chelsea boots. This year you can buy slender versions of this iconic cut with toes that taper to a nice point which gives them a more elegant edge.

As you can see, the footwear designers have been busy this year. They have come up with some a wide range of different styles which means it is extremely easy for you to find the perfect pair of boots and is an excellent excuse to hit the shops!

end

Posted in shoes

Permalink 6 Comments

Buying the Correct Car Tyres Online*

25th August 2016

I’ll preface this by saying that at first glance this might seem like an odd post for me to be sharing on the blog. However I’d beg to differ as it’s something I know that I’ll be referring to myself in the future (you know, when I eventually get round to passing a driving test) and therefore I’d like to think that some of my readers might benefit too. Road safety, specifically tyres is something I know very little about but I do know that it is of upmost importance once you own a set of wheels…

Justification over, let’s get on to it.

(image)

These days, modern consumers are more used than ever before to making their key purchases online. The internet offers a great deal of convenience for shoppers of all kinds and it is often a good deal cheaper to buy products too. This is because staffing and rental costs associated with traditional shops are often done away with. However there are still many of us who refuse to buy car tyres and parts for our vehicles from anything other than the local retailer. This means that we fail to shop around effectively and sometimes the outcome is that we pay through the nose for standard or even inferior products that the retailer wants to shift on. Instead of opting for what happens to be available when you have your tyres checked at the local garage take the time to look online to see what else is available.



One of the major advantages of shopping for car tyres online is that you can compare the premium brands side by side. Retailers of the bricks and mortar type will usually only stock one or two premium tyre brands with exclusive deals to sell their products only. By using the internet to shop for you car’s new tyres instead it becomes possible to view all of the major brands in one go. Manufacturers such as Bridgestone, Avon, Continental, Nankang, Kingstar and Yokohama – among others – will produce high quality tyres that last much longer than budget tyre brands. Crucially these will often be available with special offers or at reduced pricing from time to time but only from online retailers and tyre specialists.


Among the other advantages of shopping online for tyres is that nationwide tyre dealers can be sought out. This means that you can order your car tyres online from a reliable tyres dealer such as Point S, and then have them fitted professionally no matter where you happen to travel to. If you are driving from one side of the country to the other on business or for a break, then you can order your tyres at one trusted location and have them ready for you at your destination. Local retailers can rarely offer this sort of flexibility in terms of locations and of speed of delivery.

If you think that the increased choice of shopping around is for you but prefer the traditional method of ringing several mechanics and garages to see what tyres are in stock locally then so be it. However, you should bear in mind that an online search compared to one that is made by phone is commonly much more efficient at tracking down the best tyres for your car. All too often you can find a deal by phone but go on to check at other retailers. By the time you ring the best garage back your tyres could have been reserved by someone else or even fitted already. Conversely when you shop online and find your preferred tyres you are able to reserve them with a simple click of the mouse.


end

Posted in information alert, life stuff

Permalink

Insta-life lately

24th August 2016
As ever I’m so behind with what used to be a monthly blog post. In fairness life has been a little bit topsy-turvy over the last few weeks as I’ve moved back in with my parents for the for-seeable and I’ve had some big decisions to make in terms of my health, recovery and future. Everything is going to work out for the best though and I’m keeping positive…so here is a taster of some of the random things I’ve enjoyed over the last couple of months. You can follow me on instagram to see even more, I’m always looking for new people to spy on (which makes me sound a lot creepier than I really am!)
I baked cat shaped shortbread!
I’m a bit obsessed with enamel pins lately and couldn’t resist this little chap. Maturity game strong.
Ice cream chewits are back! This made my year!
Adulting hard.
This was such a good read, I’ve since devoured a couple more of his books and really rate them.
Chickpea obsessive.
Stole a cat tee from Mum.
New Nakd bars…another expensive snack addiction!
A bit of Mum & Daughter time.
Summer fruit is my favourite.
Standard Mae.
Ordered the cutest retro mirror from Etsy!
Retro snacking in the sunshine.
My constant companion lately.
Clearly re-living my youth at the moment.
Another retro revival in the form of MAC’s goodluck trolls collection.
Grumpy cat PJs from Primark!
Little creep.
Apparently I’m a Grumpy Cat Groupie
More pins. More maturity.
I have no words for this one.
Got some new ink.
Girl after my own heart.
Let me know if you’d like any more information about any of the photos, you can click on them to view full sized and hover over them to see my captioning skills.

Feel free to leave links to your life lately posts in the comments. I’m proper nosy so will definitely check them out!

end

Posted in life, life stuff

Permalink 4 Comments

Foodie Find- Jealous Sweets

22nd August 2016
Have I ever mentioned my sweet tooth and love of sugar on the blog? Oh, only twenty million times by now I’m sure! If there’s one thing I love (and have always loved throughout every stage of my life so far) it’s sweets. Any kind of sweet will do the trick but my real achilles heal is the gummy variety. So, when an e-mail from Jealous Sweets popped in to my inbox offering me a selection of their wares to sample it was really a no brainer as far as I was concerned…expanding my snacking horizons? It was game on!
For those who are yet to come across Jealous Sweets (we’ve had brief encounters in the past) I’ll share a little history. Essentially these are sweets designed for EVERYONE to enjoy- they are 100% vegetarian, gluten free, packed full of natural juices and free from artificial colours and flavours. At least some of their varieties are Vegan too meaning they make the perfect gift for when flowers or chocolate just won’t cut it. I received four different 50g boxes from the range- each of these retail at £2.50 each and are ideal as a little pick me up present (to me, from me of course) or as part of a bigger gift. You can also pick up 200g mixed boxes for £8.99.
As you can see, they are an attractive bunch, if you can look past the fact I might have dropped a couple of the boxes and thus somewhat ruining the effect. Obviously looks aren’t everything and what everyone is dying to know is how they taste, so without further ado…

I really, really like these sweets. Like, REALLY. The Tropical Wonder box held my favourite selection of flavours (mango, pineapple and raspberry) whereas the Fizzy Friends were my overall favourite as I’m a sucker for anything sour. The sour beans made a fun alternative to other brands of jelly beans that don’t tick all of the dietary boxes that Jealous Sweets do- the mango/pineapple flavour of these is incredible! If I had to single out a favourite sweet across all four boxes though it would be the banana flavour gummy in the Fruitilicious box- banana is a seriously underrated flavour for sweets and I’m kind of hoping these may exist in a box all of their own one day.

Jealous Sweets has a variety of stockists which you can find on their website and you can also order online. I’d definitely recommend these both as a gift or a treat for yourself and I’m going to treat myself to a few more boxes (Tangy Worms and Grizzly Bears) come pay day!

Let me know if you’ve tried Jealous Sweets before and what you thought. Also let’s talk sweets in general- what’s your favourite?

end

*sweets sent to me for consideration, I genuinely loved them so much I had to go off on a mad ramble about them!*

Posted in food, gifts, review

Permalink 1 Comment