When Life Gets In The Way - Family Illness, Covid, Mould, Guttering And A Poorly Cat*

I once made a pledge on this blog to stop apologising for disappearing, repetition and lack of posting, and whilst i guess this is a bit of an apology (what can I say I'm one of those people who always says sorry even when it's not my fault!), it's more of an update and explanation as to what's been going on in my life over the last month or so and why I've been neglecting the blog.

With several bereavements and my own health struggles, it's safe to say that I'd already ranked 2023 pretty highly on the shitty year index, but throw in what's been going on over the last couple of month and it's probably at the top of the pile!

If you follow me elsewhere on social media (updated links in the sidebar if you don't), then you'll know that my mam has been pretty poorly. She was admitted into hospital towards the end of July with the same old, same old, some sort of infection, that course through her body leaving her with a raging fever and unable to walk. They did the usual, blasted her with antibiotics only this time she suffered a reaction to one of them so they had to switch it and start again, after a couple of days she was heading in the right direction, and I was preparing to go in and see her and then everything went wrong.

As is common with especially elderly people she suffered a spell of infection related delirium and confusion. To say I wouldn't wish that 24 hours or so on anyone would be an understatement. She called me and various family members multiple times alternating between crying and ranting, from seeing things that weren't there, to having no idea of where she was, to refusing treatment and not letting the hospital staff touch her - it was horrible and utterly heartbreaking  I really can't thank the staff and University Hospital Of North Durham, and my family and friends enough, and of course everyone who replied to my Instagram stories on the day. I spoke to several nurses and one doctor over the course of the day and they assured me that once they got a handle on the infection she would improve, and thankfully that's what happened. I didn't speak to her again until the next lunch time and whilst she was still confused she had much more of a grip on reality, and was cooperating with staff again, and by the time I spoke to her again that night she was nearly back to normal, although completely mortified with how she'd behaved. 

Thankfully she continued to get better, well at least until she caught covid! They weren't 100% sure if that was the cause of the original infection or whether she caught it whilst she was in hospital but thankfully bar a hacking cough, distorted taste and smell, her oxygen levels remained good, and after 11 days in hospital she was allowed home. It took her another week to test negative, and about another 3 to get back up to speed but she's doing well, she's been given some more medication for bone strength, and the hospital have been in touch with social services to get some hand rails put up outside to help with her mobility and access to the drive, and the car.

Obviously this was a major mental screw up for me, it's bad enough having one relative in hospital at once but at my godmother was also admitted in the same week, and whilst she was released after a few days it was really tough for me. On that Sunday I really felt as though I'd lost my mum, to be scared to speak to her because at that moment in time she was as far away from her normal self as it was possible to be was terrifying - thankfully as I stay I had some support at the time but dealing with it afterwards in my own head has been tough and I'm not going to lie I've struggled - but as my mam says I'm a lot stronger than I think I am, and at last I think I'm beginning to realise that.

With my mum being poorly and getting some much needed rest, I've obviously had to step it up and take on all of the tasks that need to be done on a daily basis in order to keep a house running smoothly, so given that my physical and mental health sap so much of my energy as it is, I've pretty much been running on empty, but you know why not kick someone when there down!

For a little while I'm been smelling a sort of musty smell in my bedroom, sort of like damp, so eventually admitted defeat and investigated only to find a patch of mould on the wall - arghhhhhh! so everything to be moved to I could treat it and if you have any mould in your house be it on the walls, or bathroom tiles then you need to get this stuff from Amazon, it makes your house smell like a swimming pool but it was gone without any scrubbing or effort in less than an hour, and my shower tiles are now gleaming as well! We knew we had an issue with the guttering so we got someone out to have a look at it and it's much worse than we anticipated - it's leaked under the fascia and into the cavity wall, and the roof joists hence the patches of mould in various other rooms in the house - it never rains but it pours literally! Bye bye several grand grrrr!

Oh yes, I almost forgot, the title of this post also mentioned a poorly cat, well if all of that wasn't enough, Charlie developed some sort of infection in his gums, so after a few days of hiding, hissing, and not eating, a antibiotic jab, and a course of oral anti-inflammatories, and antibiotics, and some special dental food, and a pretty little vet bill, he's thankfully eating and back to his fluffy self - phew!

So hopefully that explains my absence, I've been so mentally and physically drained that I just wasn't up to blogging, or doing pretty much anything else come to think about it, but (touches every bit of wood in the house and crosses my fingers very tightly!) hopefully the stars are realigning and things are returning to normal or whatever normal is, so I should be able to start getting a few more posts up, starting with an empties catch up later this week x 

Again a huge thank you to all of you who've contacted me on social media over the last month or so and thanks again for sticking with me x 

*This Post Contains An Affiliate And A Non Affiliate Link

Twas The Night Before Christmas And Things Really Haven't Gone To Plan...

So here we are x There is only one more sleep till the big day, and I have to say for the first time in a really long time I don't feel that festive. If you follow me on Instagram or if you're a fan of my Facebook page, then you'll already know that my Mam was rushed to hospital earlier this week thankfully she was discharged last night but she's still on a lot of medication and she's still feeling exhausted and pretty under the weather. Unfortunately we've made to decision to have a much more low key Christmas Day celebration with just the two of us, and a scaled back vegetarian Christmas dinner cooked by yours truly!

I love tradition and routine at Christmas time, so I'm feeling a little bit emotional and uneasy with all of the changes, and I'm really going to miss spending the day with my godmother, I did see her today though which was nice but It can't be helped these things happen, my Mam's health is more important and I'm going to try and make it as nice as possible for her tomorrow x 

I know Christmas is going to be another strange one for a lot of people this year, so please do what I'm doing and try to remember that it's just a day, and a very hyped day at that. Things don't have to be perfect, and you don't have to force yourself to be happy - life doesn't change just because it's Christmas Day - So if you're on your own - head to Twitter where Sarah Millican is doing her annual #JoinIn, I'll probably be floating around on social media for most of the day - probably sharing my culinary stresses, and if you really do need someone to talk to, don't forget there is always someone out there to listen, it's okay not to be okay so reach out if you need to x 

So although it won't be the Christmas that so many of us had planned this year, if you're celebrating this year I hope you have the best day possible x  I will hopefully see you sometime over the festive season with an overview of this years Glossybox Advent Calendar, and maybe another post or two, so from me to you, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas x

*This Post Contains An Affiliate Link

A Life Update - Wisdom Teeth Removal, Spoonie Life And Things To Come

Bonjour, mes amis! Did you miss me? It's been a little while since I last posted but there is a good reason I promise.

At silly a clock on Friday morning I was admitted to the day case unit of one of the North East's largest hospitals - the reason? to get the tooth from hell removed. Although it was a long day and there was a lot of waiting around, I really can't praise the hospital and staff highly enough.

 I'd chosen to have it removed with a little bit of IV Sedation, so after I'd gowned up and donned the obligatory surgical stockings, the wait started, and eventually I headed down to theatre - in the run up to the surgery there had been a few issues with my heart and my blood pressure, so everything was rechecked and I was given a bit of oxygen as a precaution. Feeling nice and calm and full of mild sedatives the surgery itself was a breeze, after a few injections of local anaesthetic into my mouth and gums, all I felt was a bit of pressure and a bit of tugging, and the feeling of thread brushing my nose.

After what seemed like only about 5 minutes (it was actually only around 10)  I was wheeled into recovery with a piece of gauze clamped in my mouth for a little bit of observation and a few more tests, and then I was taken back to the ward for yet more tests, and I was eventually given a glass of water! Despite tasting a touch bloody, and having a mouth lacking in feeling, it was amazing - I'd been nil by mouth since midnight and since this was around 1pm I was gasping!

Since I was recovering well, I was allowed to get dressed (after a quick selfie of my puffy face) and preparations were made for my discharge. I was given another drink and a sandwich I couldn't really eat, and then I was given some antibacterial mouth rinse and some painkillers and then I was free to go.

I took my nearly an hour to get home and by this time the pain was starting to kick in, the local anaesthetic was wearing off, and the painkillers were consumed almost as soon as I got through the door, and that's the way it went for the next 3 days - painkillers, painkiller, and more painkillers. My face swelled up, I couldn't open my mouth and I felt as though I'd been hit in the face with a shovel! Liquids and cool drinks we're my friend and solids were a big no no.

Thankfully all seems to have gone well, and the pain, swelling and stiffness has gradually subsided as the weeks gone on, I'm still eating a soft diet, avoiding anything that's too hot and I'm still getting the odd twinge but bar my stitches dissolving, it's over with and that's the main thing.

Like a lot of things though even the most minor surgery can knock a spoonie for 6, and since Friday I've felt utterly exhausted, I've spent 4 days in my PJ's and I feel as though I've slept for Britain. Today though I feel as though I'm starting to turn the corner. So after a mini blogging break I'm back and raring to go.

My face is still a bit swollen and I still think I'm talking a bit oddly, so I won't be making any videos for a little while or showing my face in any blog posts but I still have a few things planned including a recipe which should be live tomorrow, a beauty box unboxing post, and an overview of  some of the products in the OPI Hello Kitty collection. I've also got lots and lots of reviews planned and a little thank you giveaway, so there will be lots to keep you busy. Thanks again for the well wishes and I hope that sharing my experience has been helpful x If you have any more questions though please leave me a comment and I'll try and get back to you as soon as I can x 

Hospitals and Hauling

Hi Guys
I didn't plan to do a haul post before my holidays but I managed to haul without actually spending any money, more on that later though ;)
Yesterday my mum had a hospital appointment to see her surgeon about her knee replacement, it went pretty much as we expected and she's been given the go ahead to have her operation in January, the only problem is it won't be at any of our local hospitals, it will probably be in Bishop Auckland which is about 20-30 miles away! It's still in the same county but it will take some getting to for visiting, two buses + not good! Never mind as my mums says we'll cross those bridges when we come to them.
After sticking it out in the hospital for a few hours, we then headed off to Tesco's - we only wanted a few bits to last us the weekend but of course Louise had a ulterior motive, this particular stores sells Vivo cosmetics. If you read my review the other day you'll now that I wanted a few more bits, well Mummy Lou kindly got me a few bits using the words if you get it now you won't get it when we're away, hmm anyways I got a few things including two of the Baked Blushers:

Rouge Shimmer

and Peaches and Cream

I also got two of the pearl eyeshadows - Golden Leaf and Pale Gold

one of the lipsticks in Barely There

and one of the baked eyeshadow and blush palettes in Chocolate Box

I haven't got time to review these bits before I go on holiday but I will definitely do some reviews and swatches when I get back. I have to say though my first impressions are good, oh and if you enter my giveaway, I also got some Vivo cosmetics to add to the prize pile so don't forget to check it out x
As well as the hospital and Tescos, I also visited a few Boots stores on the hunt for the 17 Magnetized Nail Polish - can I hell find it? the assistants had no idea what I was talking about - total fail! Never mind I saw the make up was on 3 for 2 so I had a little guilt free splurge, guilt free because I used my advantage card point to pay :) I got 2 nail polishes from the new 17 collection A Woman Scorned - on the left - Revenge, and on the right - Fury

I can't wait to try these out it looks like I'll have to wait till I get back from my hols unless I change my polish everyday for the next 5 days though lol
As it was 3 for 2 I also picked something else up one of the Rimmel lipsticks from the Kate collection

Created by or inspired by Ms Moss, the one I went for was 03 which is the nude in the line.

Did I need another nude lipstick, definitely not did I want it yeah why not especially since I couldn't find anything else I wanted - I really wanted Revlon Facets of Fuchsia nail polish but my little Boots doesn't do Revlon anymore boooo. So that was my Friday, plans for this weekend tidying up a bit, finishing my packing, and posting and scheduling a few blog posts. Hope you all have a nice weekend and I'll try and pop a little review up for you tomorrow x Any questions please leave me a comment x

Things Are Looking Up At Last

Hey my loves, It's been a busy day but I thought I'd try and get a quick post up for you x
I had a super busy morning filming my monthly favourites video, and taking loads of pictures for upcoming blog posts. This afternoon my mum had her hospital appointment but we went to do a little bit of shopping before we went. My mum bought a few holidays bits in Superdrug and she also got me a few bits, including some nail polish remover, and a couple of the new MUA bits. As I mentioned in my MUA post ( Click here and here to read) the MUA basic line is expanding. They didn't have too much on the stand but I picked up a few bits including some grungy Autumnal nail polish shades.

From L - R - Shade 19 and Shade 23

and I also got one of the new single eyeshadow - Shade 24 - a gorgeous plummy bronze sorry for the slightly blurry swatch x

So after a little look around the shops in my local town and buying a few things for Mummy Lou's birthday, we headed to the ENT unit of our nearest hospital. I have to say me and my mum were a bit apprehensive, there were a few possibilities which weren't exactly positive - note to self never look up symptoms on the internet! She ended up having a pretty thorough check up including having a small camera put up her nose and down into the back of her throat !!! and a thorough ear examination and hearing test. The kind of good news is that her problems have certainly been caused by a viral infection, sorry to be gross but there is a build up of mucus and fluid in her inner ear which caused the severe vertigo attack. This will gradually disperse over the next few months with the aid of a prescription nasal spray. The only downside is she has probably been left with a degree of hearing loss that will only get worse the older she get, so she may need a hearing aid at some point. As nasty as a viral infection is some of the alternatives were a lot worse. She has to see her knee specialist before we go but so we really feel as though a weight has been lifted from our shoulders and we can look forward to our holidays at long last x
I hope you all have a great week, I am certainly looking forward to mine a bit more now, and especially to a better nights sleep xx

Freedom :)

I'm Free Bar An Evil Scar That Is :)

Hi Guys
Well today was my hospital appointment to see my orthopaedic surgeon - I have to say I had been dreading it especially when I became convinced that I could actually feel one of the screws in my ankle!!!! The weather today was ridiculously warm and predictably orthopedic out-patients was unbelievably hot and crowded. Surprisingly enough I wasn't sent for an x-ray I just went straight to see my surgeons registrar. The big news is I can go splint free and walk and weight bear in my feet :) He says I can wear the splint for days when I will be on my feet a lot but I need to wean myself off it . The bones have healed fine, I just need to keep up the little exercises I was given to build my tendons and muscles back up. I mentioned that I could feel the screws in my ankle and I was right indeed I can, it made me feel a bit queasy to be honest, but it's perfectly normal to be able to feel the metal work!!!! There isn't a lot of flesh on your ankles so the bones/metal are quite close to the surface, and if it moves a bit you can feel it- I swear I can feel a bolt! He said I should expect to feel some discomfort, aching, swelling and so on for at least another 18 months while it beds in and everything heals inside, so I need to take it easy and not wear any silly heels for a little bit. I've had a little walk around the house in my bare feet tonight and it doesn't feel too bad but it's just going to be about building my confidence up and taking it slowly. It's certainly been an interesting 4 and a bit months for me but I've been discharged from the hospital now so my journey appears to be nearing it's end whoopppeee!! I've learnt a few lessons but the biggest one is don't go out in the snow and ice!!! I just want to think you all for the whinging and moaning my little (or not so little) foot has caused - I've really appreciated all you nice message and your support x After the hospital we popped to Sainsburys where my mum bought me a few bits - pics tomorrow x I felt a bit down this morning but this really lifted my spirits - I have a Dentist appointment tomorrow and after that we're going to the cemetery to put some flowers on my dads grave x I still miss him more than anything - Happy Birthday Daddy and Rest In Peace xx

Mondays Goods and Bads

Hey guys welcome to this weeks goods and bads :)

Bads

• Another relative is in hospital - my dads auntie was taken in ill at the weekend - she is in her late 80's and is the oldest member of my family :(
• Feeling a bit down about my ME at the moment - I had my last appointment with the CFS team last week - to be honest it didn't lift me like it normally does - the gist of it was I know everything there is too now about pacing and managing my illness so there isn't really anything else they can help me with because of course ME has no cure :( In my heart of hearts I know all of this anyway but there is something about somebody actually telling you it that hurts :(
• Made a lovely mothers day meal yesterday (thanks for all the nice comments ) but I sliced into my finger leaving a very unattractive and sore gouge, and a hacked off nail :(
• My feet or rather my foot - it's actually feeling pretty good but the splint constantly rubbing has caused the driest, flakiest foot ever  and hideous heels- recommendation on how to get it back to normally needed please?
• An awful news story on local news about someone shooting and poisoning cats :( Animal cruelty of any kind really upsets me - how could anyone hurt an innocent creature ? I will be giving my babies an extra big hug tonight - I mean look at Tallulah's face - how could anyone?

Goods

• Yesterday - we had a really good day yesterday, I spent some quality time with both my mum and my godmother and I ate some yummy food :)
• I lost a pound this week - not much but I hadn't been particularly strict so I was pretty pleased - I am having a few days off but I will get back on track later this week
• Project 10 Pan - the end is officially in site that makes me happy :)
• 407 Followers very exciting - a have a few giveaways coming soon to say thank you so keep checking back xx

I hope you've all had a good week, if not I hope this one is better for you. Again I have a few posts planned for this week including a product rave, a sneaky purchase, and maybe a review x See you soon xx

Free, Kind Of ?

Well today was my hospital appointment to check the progress of my ankle. First up out came the circular saw and off came the cast, then it was off to x-ray cue me eeking as I had to put my full weight on my bad foot, and jam it again an x-ray plate !!! Then it was back to the waiting room where my consultant was running over an hour late :( Eventually I got to see him and he was happy with my progress, it's healing well hurrah! I was then wheeled off to physio to be shown a few exercises, and then I was given a removable splint which I have to wear for the next 8 weeks before seeing my consultant again. What that does is basically provide support and protection for my ankle bones while they finish healing - slightly yack picture!

Thankfully I can take it off and I will be able to have a proper bath and a shower now! I will also be able to plaster it in moisturiser before putting my socks on :) You can probably see from the picture but my skin is beyond gross, it is soooooo dry and flaky. My scar isn't looking too bad thankfully but it still has a bit of healing to do then I can start moisturising it, I thought of trying Bio Oil but if anyone has any scar fading tips I'd love to know x All in all I am pretty pleased with how today went I've still got a little way to go yet and it's going to take some time to start walking normally again, and to build up the strength in my ankle but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel even though my shopping trip to the Metro Centre is still on hold x Thanks again for all the sweet messages on here and on twitter I really appreciate it xx

The Return Of Goods and Bads

Hi Guys - I haven't done one of these posts for a while so I thought I'd start them up again for you :)

Bads

• I thought I'd start with the bads and the biggest bad is obviously the offending foot/ankle/leg eek - I am walking in my cast shoe without my frame now but it's isn't half giving me gyp - as well as been beyond itchy and dry, I keep getting little stabby and naggy pains particular where the clips came out, and my legs are aching like hell grr

•  Feeling a bit bleugh generally my cold is gone pretty much bar my nigh on continuous sore throat but I still don't feel myself, I feel down, and  unmotivated about everything and that's not me - everything even blogging seems like so much of chore for what seems like little reward. My sleeping is awful and everything
• seems like a chore - I hate feeling like this and want the old enthusiastic LouLou back  :(
• My godfather has shingles :( he's OK but he's in a bit of pain and he's in his 80's so it's a bit of a worry

Goods

• Hospital on Wednesday fingers crossed I can get the cast of doom off my foot
• Apart from my godfather my families 2011 illness/accident crisis appears to be over, whilst I was in hospital 2 other members of my family were in different hospitals at the same time, shortly followed by third - 2011 certainly didn't start that well for us hmm
• Sticking to my Project 10 Pan and not buying anything! - need I say more I haven't been tempted by a hardly a single thing in the past few MAC collections - is my MAC obsession over? I've also not been online shopping - normally feeling bleurgh is an excuse to buy but I've been good. I am starting to realise that shopping only gives me a little boost that to be honest doesn't last - lets hope I can keep it up
• Having said that about shopping -  I did receive a little parcel this morning the last part of my Next sale order - I placed a sale order on the 22nd December and it came today!!! To be honest I had forgotten about it but I'm keeping it, it's a lovely cozy grey winter cardi with a black belt pretty essential I am sure you'll agree especially since the snow is back :(

Well this was a big uppy and downy post wasn't it - hope it wasn't too depressing for you - oh another good - new followers - hi everyone and thanks for clicking the follow button I really appreciate it :) I'll see you later in the week with a hospital update post, a review and maybe a few randoms :) See you soon xx

January Japes

Well January really has been a month to forget for me - a certain slip on the ice and a poorly foot has curtailed my plans left, right and centre, In some ways this has been a good thing my inability to walk at the moment has meant that I can't go shopping booo. Well I could always shop online, but the continuation of project 10 pan and a distinct lack of enthusiasm for anything has meant shock of horrors that I am way under for the first month of my 2011 spending diet I spent the grand total of £9.41

Nails Inc Denim Nail Polish - ebay - £3.49
Made Bangles x 3 - ebay - £5.92
Total So Far - £9.41
£30.59 Under


So from my January 2011 limit of £40 I have £30.59 left which has to be some sort of record for me, admittedly I have purchased a nail polish but I still think that's pretty good going :) Now onto trimming my stash well predictably January has been a bit of a fail

Dove Beauty Care Body Wash Go Fresh Burst 55ml
Lacura 3 in 1 Facial Cleansing Wipes x 30
Philosophy Carrot Cake Ultra Rich Shampoo, Shower Gel, and Bubble Bath 473.1ml
Trilogy Smooth Shine Shampoo 250ml
Total - 4 Items

I managed 4 items this month which to be honest wasn't great I have a few bath things on the way out but obviously me ability to have a bath has been postponed for a bit so they will have to wait. I managed no make up items this month probably because I've barely worn any :) but I do have a mascara that should be done in the next week or so which will hopefully get me back on track :)
My other plan for 2011 was to try and eat a bit more healthily and lose a bit of weight well I haven't weighed myself for a bit I think the cast would give a false reading ;) but my clothes certainly feel a bit looser thanks to rubbish hospital food and a lack of appetite - every cloud as they say ;)
I certainly hope that you have all had a better start to 2011 than I have, as they say things can only get better xx

It Only Took 32 Years....

Well where do I start ? You may have noticed I've been AWOL, I'm sorry but I do have a good excuse honest which I'm sure you'll agree if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter ;) x Last Monday the heating engineers were coming to install our new heating system, the house was freezing so I decided to decamp to my Godparents for the day. All was going well a nice chat, warm cuppas then I decided to pop to the library -hmm bad move, last Monday we had more snow, and lots of ice, So I guess you can bet what happened.. I fell down and my leg bent underneath me with a sharp cracking noise. Eek I managed to crawl the short distance to my Godparents house where by this time I was feeling very faint and shaky, they managed to get me comfortable and my mum managed to collect me and bring me home - I could still move everything on my foot so after taking a few painkillers I tried to get some sleep. By the Tuesday morning though my foot didn't resemble a foot anymore swollen and every colour under the sun. So we headed off to the nearest hospital where after a bit of prodding it was revealed after 32 years I had my first ever broken bones :( I had spiral fractures to my right foot and ankle, and not only that but I would probably need surgery to realign it and put it all back together - I have to say at this point I nearly fainted again :( I was then transferred to the main hospital in my areas orthopedics department and after about 6 hours I was eventually found a bed. After a few days of I have to say vile food, attempted joint manipulation, and various periods of being nil by mouth I eventually had my operation on Friday, I have to say it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be bar the anesthetic which made me a bit sick. On Monday afternoon they let me go home with some walking frames, so you can now refer to me a hopalong ;) I can't put any weight on my foot for about 8 weeks :(. All that coupled with my ME means I'm feeling pretty crappy - my legs, back and arms ache and my nails, skin and hair are a disgrace - how the heck do you wash your face when you can't stand up without grabbing hold of something hmm I guess I'm going to have to learn a lot in the next month or so. So I'm back not quite with it but I'm here - I am going to start trying to get a few posts up over the next day or so but please be patient - I have hospital again next week to remove my clips and put on a full cast but otherwise I will be around I can't bend down or reach anything but I'll be here. Thanks for all the sweet messages I really appreciated it especially when I was stuck in a hospital bed - I dread to think what my phone bill is going to be - oh and thanks to my new followers too I logged on today expecting to have lost a few but there are actually more of you lovely peeps thank you so much xxx

Goods and Bads

Goods

*My mum is out of hospital - she is still having visits from the community nurse and is still on a lot of painkillers but she is home - I am now playing nurses lol
*I am making her a lovely meal tonight including a mushroom stroganoff, and a banoffee, pecan, chocolate cheesecake
*I've bought some lovely goodies recently - pics etc. to come and of course Gaga to come :)
*I've just found out I've won the entire Sleek I Divine palette collection on a facebook competition - I have quite a few of them already so I will more than likely be holding a giveaway in the near future to thank all you lovely people for being so wonderful and supportive especially over the past week :)

Bads

*Am absolutely exhausted at the moment - the combination of lack of sleep, more physical work and getting up too early is really wearing me out :(
*Spending I have spent way too much money lately :(
*A bit of a trivial one but I am so behind on blog posts and yt vids argh

Mothers Day Craft and An Update

As you probably know if you follow me on twitter my mum unfortunately didn't get out of hospital in times for mothers day :( I saw my godmother yesterday and I visited my mum in hospital last night so it wasn't so bad - I thought I'd show you some of the cards I made for my mum and my godmother




Big news today is that my mum is coming home tonight - hurray so we will hopefully be celebrating mothers day tomorrow with a posh homemade dessert and a nice meal (although no wine for mummy;)) Thanks again for all your love and support - I'm sorry I haven't had the chance to reply to all your comments personally but thank you - normally posts and services should return soon - love and hugs x x

A Little Update

Hey all -Just a quick update regarding my mum - she is till having a bit of weeping from one of her wounds and as a result she is on some strong antibiotics so it will now be Saturday at the earliest that she will be out of hospital :( I have made lots of plans for mothers day at home so here's hoping she'll be out by then :( She called me last night as she was a bit upset which succeeded in making me a bit upset so I went shopping online :( That means this months spending diet is another write off - tough I am past caring at the mo I have more important things on my mind which I hope you can understand. I'll try put up a few posts over the weekend - a haul or two and maybe a review :) Thanks again for all your lovely messages on twitter, my blog and facebook I really appreciate it xx

Goodbye January and Good Riddance

It's not the at often that I am so pleased to see the back of a month but I am so pleased that January is over! On a lot of levels it's been tough month, and particularly the last week. I seem to have lived in hospitals and doctors this month - I have been diagnosed with another health problem which to be honest came as no surprise so I am on yet another lot of medication this time for the rest of my life -lovely! - still every cloud as they say it now means that I qualify for free prescriptions so I am due a nice little refund from my last couple:)My mums health has also been a bit up and down this month culminating in a visit to the hospital about a fortnight ago - as predicted she needs an operation on her left hip - her provisional surgery date is the 6th March - at least we have plenty of time to prepare. Oh and when I returned from my hospital appointment on Wednesday the heating was off - kaput!! - brilliant just as the weather has turned cold again (we started the month with snow and its ended with snow !!) so we sat and shivered until the repair man came on Thursday night - thankfully he managed to fix it in about 20 minutes!

Monthly Total - £40.95
Front Cover Inky Eyes Kit - £8.00
MAC P&P - £2.95
MAC TLC Feelin' Good - £10.50
MAC MSF By Candlelight - £19.50

So that's been my month up and down and pretty stressful I hope this explains why I have been a bit MIA especially over the last week - so how have I done in my monthly aims, well with monthly spends I have gone an ickle bit over this month but not by much and I am sure I will be able to make it up next month - OK I am probably saying that with my fingers crossed as I have already made a couple of purchases which I am waiting for to count towards next months totals thanks to a few enablers on twitter (you know who you are ;))but my big plus for next month is that I am not buying my goodies from MAC in Lilyland :) I got some M&S vouchers for Christmas and despite trailing the website there appears to be nothing I could possibly want bar their lemon macaroons, lemon, and white chocolate mousse and swiss mountain bars - so me and my mum are doing a swap I give her my M&S vouchers and she buys my MAC In Lilyland bits - fair I think you'll agree :)and at least it will save me some money and I won't get fatter in the process :)

So in monthly spends good but must do better but in trimming my stash I think I have done pretty well this month

Elemis Skin Nourishing Milk Bath 125ml
Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover 150ml
id Bare Minerals Foundation - Medium - 2g
Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Wash 50ml
Nails Inc Vitamin E Oil Slick Pen 1.6ml
Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic 200ml
The Body Shop Ginger Body Scrub 200ml
Leighton Denny Slick Tips Nail Oil 12ml
The Color Institute Soothing Hand Lotion 70ml
The Body Shop Vanilla Spice Shower Gel 250ml
Molton Brown Heavenly Gingerlily Moisture Bath and Shower Gel 300ml
AVON Skin So Soft Soft and Firm Targeted Firming Treatment 200ml
The Body Shop Olive Body Butter 50ml
Lush Jasmine and Henna Fluff Eaze 220ml
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio EDT 100ml
Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Serum 10ml
Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara - Black
The Body Shop Shea Body Butter 50ml
Boots Botanics Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes
Total 19 Items

A total of 19 items finished :)including 2 make up items which has to be good :) I have a few more items hovering on the edge so February should be an OK month too - If you have any questions about anything I have used please don't hesitate to ask - I know a few people were trying spending diets and stash trimming last month how did you all get on - leave a comment and let me know xx

The Plans of Mice and Men...

Well everything that I talked about yesterday just didn't happen. I woke up at a ridiculous time this morning and felt so rough it was untrue - ME symptoms in full throttle. I felt yuck,and so tired I felt sick and my balance was all to hell. I made the decision pretty much straight away to change my appointment. Thankfully my hospital offers an online appointment system so I managed to change it to a much better timed appointment in a fortnights time. Obviously my shopping trip went out the window which I am disappointed about but my health has to be my number one priority. I went back to sleep for another 6 hours and I have woke up feeling a little better but I think today is definitely going to be a rest day :(

I Heart My Mummy - Part 3 !!!

As a few of you may know I have an appointment to see the ear, nose and throat specialist at my local hospital tomorrow. My all too frequent ear infections finally got the better of me and I asked to be referred to a specialist :( Anyways my appointment is at 10am tomorrow. Because my mum is unable to drive at the moment I am left to rely on the wonders of public transport - catching a bus at 8.35am to make sure I can get to my appointment 9 miles away by 10 o'clock - hmm fabulous service eh! So to make up for the rubbishness of this (and the fact I am pretty scared I hate people fiddling with me) my mum has kindly given me £20 + plus the price of a travel card so I can have a little look into Durham after my appointment and have some guilt free spends. Durham is a really nice place if you haven't been loads of history and cute little boutiques and high street shops, including a Superdrug ;) It is a little bit touristy and studenty for most local peoples tastes but it will make a nice change for me - I normally go to Newcastle or the Metro Centre (large shopping centre :) ) and I haven't been to Durham properly for ages. So again huge thanks to my mam she really is a star (Oh and I still have £4 of my spending money this month ;))

I Heart My Mummy - Part 2

Some good news today my mum will hopefully be out of hospital tomorrow - her physio has been out to assess the house and will be providing us with some things, e.g. chair heighteners, bath boards and so on to prevent this happening again while her hip heels :)She has been warned though, she isn't to do anything!!! Anyways my mum asked me to do a bit of shopping before she comes out and she said if I wanted anything such as magazines, DVDs, etc. to keep me occupied or to cheer me up (she knows how stressed I have been) just to pay for them with money she left me for shopping. I couldn't no matter how much I wanted to let her buy DVDs for me (as much as I want to see Slumdog Millionaire) so I settled for a couple of magazine and used the rest to buy her a bouquet of flowers for when she comes out. I got this months GLAMOUR and Marie Claire both of which came with a fabulous free gift. Marie Claire came with a novel by Cecelia Ahern, author of the fabulous PS I Love You, and even more excitingly GLAMOUR came with a free half size (4g) Benefit Bad Girl Lash Black Mascara worth £9.50- hurrah.
I am a happy and relieved LouLou tonight :)

Upsy Downsy Days

I have had a really odd couple of days. As you may know about a month ago my mum had a hip operation, everything has been going pretty well up until probably the weekend. Her hips, leg and groin became incredibly painful and she was finding it really hard to walk, and stand on the operated side. I quick phone call to her surgeon and her GP lead to an ambulance escorting her to casualty! The big news was that the new joint hasn't popped out (this is common, serious and very painful). So after much poking and prodding, fluid draining and x-rays her surgeon thinks she has probably pulled a muscle or has tried to rush her rehab. So she is going to be in hospital for at least a few days so they can keep an eye on her and make sure doubly sure nothing is seriously wrong - argh!!! Needless to say over the past two days I have been a bit all over the place - less than 3 hours sleep last night means I am pretty wrecked! Still my best friend offered to take me to see my mum so I could take her some clean clothes and things. So for hospital visiting I decided to make an effort dress wise, and I needed to plaster the make up on so I didn't look so tired - hmm - here's what I wore :)

Clothes
High Waisted Jeans - Oli (My new faves)
White Spaghetti Strapped Vest - La Redoute
Coral, Pink, White and Burgundy Psychedelic, Floral, Chiffon Top - ASOS (pic of pattern)

Black Havaianas
Gold Tone Necklace With Tiny Rings On - ASOS

Handbag
Black Slouchy Leather Toe - Next
Natural Canvas Shopper - Urban Outfitters via ELLE

Make Up

Face
Laura Geller Balance and Brighten
ELF Mineral Booster - Sheer
Lancome Palette Mix Concealer Kit 01 - Light and Medium Shades Only
Smashbox Blush - Super (part of Super/Model Blush Soft Lights Duo)

Eyes
UDPP
MAC Eyeshadow - Gleam (all over lid)
MAC Eyeshadow - Shockwave (Fafi Eyes 2 Quartet - outer crease blended up)
Smashbox Cream Eyeliner - Midnight Brown (upper lid)
Revlon Black Eye Pencil - Black (upper and lower waterline)
Maybelline Lash Stiletto - Black

Lips
This sounds a little odd but I got the colour I wanted
MAC Lipglass - Shine Manish (blotted to take away shine and tackiness)
MAC Lipstick - Pleasureseeker (on top of blotted lipglass = perfect, peachy coral)

Nail Varnish
OPI Mod-ern Girl on fingers on toes (bad pic again I need to use my camera not my phone)


Perfume
DKNY - Be Delicious

Everything today was coordinated around my nail polish -coral - with peach and pink tones - sad, anal who knows - it made me happy and that's whats important :)

7 Days - Relief, Baking and More

Its been an odd 7 days for lots of reasons but we are back to normal - well there or therabouts but in the last 7 days lots of things have still made me happy

1)My mum getting out of hospital - much of my up and down week was due to my mum being in hospital - her operation was a success but she had a bit of inflamation so they ended up keeping her in for an extra few days - but shes back now at home recuperating. Me and my mum are really, ridicuously close - probably something to do with me being an only child and I have to say I really missed her - On my bad ME days she really is my rock and I am so pleased shes back I really rely on her so much at times and probably take her for granted but I can't imagine life without her

2)Chocolate Caramel Nuggets - I have seen this recipe posted on a few foodie blogs namely Penelope's Pantry and originally Cherrapeno All I can say is thank you ladies! I mangaged to adapt the recipe pretty well with gluten free flour, and a touch of Xanthan gum, although I did find I needed some more liquid. Apologies that there are no pictures but there isn't any left but don't worry I will definitely be making these again :)

3) ELF Moisture Care Lip Colour - Baby Lips <3 - My first ELF purchase and its love with this item. I am loving the colour and the finish and the fact it doesn't leave my lips dry - a winner!


4) I've made loads of nice purchases this week but one had really stood out - OPI -Done Out In Deco Nail Polish - Apologies I can't get a good picture but there are plenty out there I've borrowed this one from ASOS- it is in fact a gorgeous creamy lilac - a perfect match for my new Mary Quant Eyeshadow

5) I made quite a juvenile purchase this week a copy of Hello Kitty magazine / comic - Ok its probably for 8 year olds but it came with a fabulous free gift a Hello Kitty mobile / iPod sock. How could something this cute by tacky :)


6) The final thing that has made my super happy is you - my blog readers thank you so much for everybody that has started to follow me both here and on twitter and for all the nice comments regarding my blog. I really, really appreciate it I never thought for one minute anybody would be interested in my ramblings - a huge, huge thank you and big love to you all x