Monthly Archives: July 2018

The Animal Print Shirt Dress

30th July 2018
I absolutely love the dress in this post, although the circumstances under which I purchased it perhaps not so much. In what was perhaps my biggest sartorial fail ever, I found myself in the middle of my local shopping centre when the strap of my camisole dress just gave up on me. I didn’t even notice until a very kind lady pointed out I was flashing (my hugely unattractive nude t-shirt bra) at all and sundry and I dashed red-faced to the only clothes store in town, New Look, to make an emergency purchase.

Animal Print Dress: New Look | Black Sandals: Topshop (similar here)

I’m loving shirt dresses at the moment, they are perfect for feeling more put together on a bad body image day, not to mention versatile; for work, for play, for smart and for casual. The midi length of this dress added to it’s appeal and I just adore the khaki and animal print combination. I predict much wear from this little beauty, making it an absolute bargain at £24.99

As much as I’m not ready to give up on Summer, I am ready to embrace Autumn/Winter fashion after seeing promising new arrivals on the high street. Some serious discipline needs to be exercised not to go mad, I really need to make considered purchases only- and hopefully no more wardrobe malfunction driven ones, even if it is a gem!

It was back to work for me today after two weeks out of the office. The first week was, as mentioned in previous posts, spent in The Algarve with Bob, whilst the second was spent cramming in a solid chunk of driving lessons in the hope that maybe one day in the not too distant future (well, by the end of 2018) I might pass a test after a 14 year journey.

Already time spent on the beach feels like a very distant memory. It’s always good to get back to routine though and I’m ready and raring to go on my journey to health (despite current body image woes, and reluctance once again to accept there’s still some weight to gain) and tackle the next few months of adventures and exciting things, like setting up home with Bob.

What have you been up to lately?

Posted in dresses, fashion, lifestyle, outfits, personal style, shopping

Permalink 2 Comments

Hidden Costs That Are Draining Your Finances*

25th July 2018

If I asked you whether you are on top of your finances you would probably say yes, right? However, you may not be aware of the hidden costs as discussed below that are draining your financial resources without you being aware of it. Luckily, you can re-educate yourself and put a stop to this; read on to find out how.

Poor credit score

Now, you may not realise that if your three-digit credit score is low, it could be costing you extra money! In fact, the smaller it is, the harder it can be to get credit and lenders will charge you higher interest rates. This basically means that those with a lower credit score will be charged more for the same things than those with higher ones.

Luckily there is a way to rectify this, by repairing your credit report. This is something you can do by learning how to remove negative items from credit report yourself, or by going to a professional repair company that can perform this service for you. Then, as long as you keep up with your payments and ensure they are on time your credit score should rise to a much healthier figure, in turn preventing any unnecessary drain on your finances – just remember not to go wild with your new found financial freedom and rack up more debt!

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Bank Charges

It has always struck me as weird that banks charge people for going into their overdrafts because, it means that those with the least end up being punished for it and sometimes it’s just unavoidable! Of course, these aren’t only banking fees that you may be paying either as you may have to paid up for a premium account that you don’t really need, or had a returned cheque or direct debit.

The thing to do here to avoid these is to keep a better eye on your spending which can stop you incurring such charges. Also, take a good long look at the advantages of your premium account and review whether they are worth the monthly cost? If not, swap back down to normal one and save yourself some money!

Catalogue shopping

Now, I know that shopping via a catalogue can be very convenient, after all you don’t have to drag yourself to a store and try things on in that awful white fluorescent light in the changes rooms. In fact, you can do everything from the comfort of your own home and even pair new items with older pieces to see if they work well in your wardrobe.

However, if you are going to shop in this way then make sure that you buy the items outright instead of putting them on your account. Why? Well, catalogue credit accounts often have an insanely high-interest rate of 30% or over. This means that even if you only buy a few items you can pretty much never pay them off as long as you are just fulfilling the minimum payment each month. Of course you are then charged more interest on what you owe and the whole cycle begins again and becomes an ever-present drain on your finances. Not to mention you’re paying way over the odds for each item you buy.

Photo by William Iven on Unsplash

To that end, refrain from adding items to your catalogue credit account and shop in normal stores instead. Even if you think you are just buying items from the catalogue to try them on the temptation will be strong to keep them and pay for them later! Buy now pay later deals lure us in, but who actually pays them before the interest free period runs out?

Have you ever experienced hidden charges for your every day finances? How do you keep on top of them?

end

Posted in finance, lifestyle

Permalink

Exploring The Algarve & my new favourite Bikini

25th July 2018
I’m currently on week two of a much needed break from work, and whilst this week is filled with more practical things (like attempting to conjure up blog content and doing a block booking of driving lessons), last week Bob and I spent five glorious days exploring the Algarve.

Neither of us had been to Portugal before and weren’t entirely sure what to expect. It’s certainly a beautiful part of the world, and everyone we met was so friendly and welcoming.
We hired a car for the duration of our trip, which was essential as the villa we were staying it was in quite a remote location, but it gave us the freedom to explore many of the towns and cities along the coast and we certainly packed a lot in to our short trip. The Algarve Shopping centre was a great stop when seeking respite from the sun, and evening beach strolls might just be our new favourite activity.

We didn’t spend an awful lot of time on the beach, we were more keen to explore the area- and I managed to get epic sunburn on the first day which meant keeping covered was key (and yes, I was slathered in sun cream, but foolishly thought factor 30 would be ok on my english rose skin!). What time we did spend on the beach was mostly based at Praia dos Salgados, by far our favourite stretch of sand as it was somehow less crowded than the other beaches we tried and had a gorgeous nature reserve behind it were we wandered happily spotting turtles in the water.

It was here we photographed my new favourite bikini c/o UK Swimwear. Braving a bikini was a huge deal for me as this was the first time I’ve ever been abroad at anything even remotely resembling a healthy weight. Thankfully this beautifully detailed bikini by Piha helped persuade me. I love the unique back strap detail and the flattering crop top style. I wasn’t brave enough to go full bikini on the blog so slung on some ASOS jersey shorts at the last minute, but you get the idea.
This was my most worn bikini of the holiday, and whilst I might have once balked at nearly £60 for a set, this has convinced me it’s worth investing.

We’d definitely go back to The Algarve. There is so much more we want to see and do – and eat! We had some absolutely amazing food out there, and if anyone is planning on heading near Albufeira this year then both Bob and I 100% recommend taking a trip to Galé and having dinner at Massa Fina– it might not be traditional Portugese food, but this was hands down the best pasta (me) and Calzone (Bob) that we’ve ever had. You will need to book a table, but it’s 100% worth it.

Where have you been holidaying this year? I had intended to make more of this post by sharing a lot more photos, but it turns out we were so busy having fun and taking in our surroundings that we barely took any- what kind of blogger am I?

end

Posted in fashion, food, holiday, lifestyle

Permalink 3 Comments

Why Perfect Beauty Products Vary From One Person to the Next*

23rd July 2018
Over the years we try countless beauty products in pursuit of the perfect skin; some of them work better than expected, but others are nothing but a letdown despite what the reviews may say.
Companies spend a lot of money conducting beauty consumer research in an effort to test and perfect products- personal care consumer research firms enlist a variety of testers to try products before they hit the market. This research helps the company discover which beauty products consumers are most interested in using and what kind of results can be expected when a product is used by a variety of customers.
This last part is important because no two people are alike, many beauty products claim to be the best, but what’s best can differ from one person to the next, this post helps to explain why.
Skin Type

What skin type do you have? The answer to that question is the basis for many of the beauty products that will work best on your skin. It’s also the key to protecting your skin from the harsh elements.

There are two measurements for skin type, one relates to the quality of your skin and oil production while the other is based on sun sensitivity.

You’ve probably seen beauty products that are labeled for normal, oily, dry, combination or sensitive skin. This refers to what your skin looks and feels like (and just so you know, most people don’t fall into the normal category of perfectly balanced, clear skin- it should really be called abnormally lucky skin!)

Oily skin shines because sebaceous glands produce an overabundance of oil. This type of skin tends to be thick and may be plagued by large pores and blemishes. You’ll need to use a deep pore cleanser and mattifiers to minimize the appearance of pores. 

Dry skin is the result of limited oil production and lack of moisture. It causes the skin to look flaky and dull. People with dry skin are also more prone to fine lines and wrinkles. Moisturizers and skin glazing products are needed to correct dryness and give your face a healthy glow.
 
Combination skin is – you guessed it – a mix of oily and dry skin. Many people fall into this category. Typically, skin will be oily in the T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) and dry in the cheek and eye areas. 

Sensitive skin is skin that reacts easily to external factors like beauty products, wind, and pollution. If you have sensitive skin you’ll have to steer clear of products with harsh ingredients, soaps, and fragrances.
 
There’s also something called the Fitzpatrick scale. It measures the amount of pigment in your skin and how it reacts to sun exposure. These factors combined help tell you your risk for skin cancer. 
There are six categories in the Fitzpatrick scale:

Skin Type 1 – ivory skin colour, freckled, always burns, never tans
Skin Type 2 – fair skin colour, usually freckled, often burns, rarely tans
Skin Type 3 – fair to beige skin colour, sometimes freckled, occasionally burns, sometimes tans
Skin Type 4 – olive to light brown skin colour, sometimes freckled, rarely burns, usually tans
Skin Type 5 – dark brown skin colour, rarely freckled, rarely burns, always tans
Skin Type 6 – black skin colour, never freckled, never burns, always tans

Skin Conditions

Skin conditions can be related to skin type, but they aren’t the same; they’re health conditions that affect skin quality and appearance. Rosacea is an example of a common skin condition that affects the types of beauty products that are used.

Lifestyle
Your DNA isn’t the only thing that impacts skin quality and issues. Lifestyle also plays a major role, for instance smoking, frequently swimming in pools and sunbathing drys out the skin. Eating certain foods can make your skin more oily. Water intake is another important factor that affects skin quality, healthy skin requires good hydration.

So, How Important Are Beauty Product Efficacy Ratings?
The research and efficacy ratings noted above can still prove useful despite the uniqueness of our skin. This is definitely true when a product is made to address a specific skin problem that you’re having or is made for your skin type. 
What’s most important is that you pay careful attention to how a beauty product is formulated, the ingredients that are used and the skin type of the testers. This will go a long way in telling you if the product is right for your skin.

end

Posted in beauty, skincare

Permalink

The Impact of what, and where we eat

14th July 2018

As part of re-developing a healthy relationship with food I’ve really begun to appreciate the importance of sitting down at a table for a meal. Even when dining alone it focuses your mind on what you’re eating, meaning you appreciate the meal, the tastes and pay attention to your body’s hunger signals and personal tastes. If eating in company then it provides the perfect environment to maintaining healthy relationships; whilst it might be tempting to sprawl on the couch with your parter and your supper, it does tend you mean you ignore each other in favour of what’s on the TV screen.

I’m not alone in this either, recent research commissioned by furniture retailer Furniture Village shows that one in three people chose the dining table as their favourite spot to enjoy a meal, with 70% adding it had a positive impact on family relations, and 28% stating it improved their mental health (I’m 100 percent with that 28%).

Photo by Sara Dubler on Unsplash

Whilst preference for eating at a table might be strong, this doesn’t manage to translate itself in to reality. Out of 2,000 UK residents surveyed, the research showed that 52% ditched the table, and daily conversation in favour of the TV, and 42% opted to spend time on their phones whilst eating rather connecting directly with those around them.

This kind of makes me sad. I feel like food, and family time should be top priority- as kids we always ate as a family, and whilst I went through various phases of wanting to eat away from the table (mostly isolated away from anyone and distracted by a screen or loud music) I’ve always come back to the classic table chair set up, and Bob and I make a point of never eating slouched on the couch except in rare circumstances (Westworld finale included).

It’s not just relationships with those around us that suffer with TV dinners, nutritionist Samantha Paget stated: “Food choices may be negatively impacted by eating away from the dining table – with the temptation to grab something that’s easier to eat, which doesn’t often contain a wide variety of fresh nutrients.”

With good nutrition being my primary focus these days this does make me very aware that I need to pull my socks up when it comes to week day lunching. I am one of the 36% who eat at their desk every day- and whilst I do go out for twenty minute walk on my break this does mean I’m mindlessly munching my sushi or sandwich whilst focusing on something else. Lunch is the one meal I never put effort in to and I make choices based on how quick they are to eat, and how portable they are, rather than nutritional content or taste.

Whilst I don’t think my habits are too bad, compared to the statistics from the study that also show that 12% of adults never eat at the table, and that 41% see eating purely as a functional task.

The survey of more than 2,000 UK adults was commissioned by furniture retailer Furniture Village in a campaign to encourage people to reclaim their dining table and enjoy the all the positive impacts it can have on our physical and mental health, from a reduction in over-eating and heightened enjoyment of food to better family relationships. To see all the tips, visit the webpage. It makes for interesting reading and highlighted for me what I’m doing well and where I could stand to improve.

What are your eating habits like, and how do you compare to this study?

Also, any tasty, healthy lunch ideas to share? I need some serious inspiration after years of using as an excuse to skip a meal, or fill up on tasteless junk.

end

Posted in food, life stuff, lifestyle

Permalink 2 Comments