Strange Times

A Fluffy Sheep Hot Water Bottle - Just Because :)

Hey Guys, it's been a while hasn't it. I did a bit of a disappearing act and I'm sorry for not updating you all sooner, but after a little bit of toing and froing, for the first time since the 31st January I'm back with something for you to read.

I guess this is really just an update, and explanation post as to where I've been and how in these pretty uncertain times I'm going to be moving forward.

To put it mildly I've been poorly, sick, I had a horrid chest infection, the only thing that came out of my mouth for over three weeks was a pitiful squeak, and if that wasn't bad enough I then developed viral conjunctivitis. Thankfully a course of antibiotics cleared my eyes and my vision, but despite a course of oral antibiotics the chest infection refused to budge, oh and did I mention Mummy Lou had the same virus. 

Yeah it's been fun, thankfully I don't think it was "the virus" but I can't be sure and it shows exactly how even a bog standard flu bug can effect people who are vulnerable, I've still got a bit of a cough which is sending my own personal paranoia into overdrive but at least I have a bit of experience of self isolating now - I probably only left the house twice in nearly 6 weeks, I went to see my GP, the chemist, a couple of shops, oh and my local hospitals Urgent Care Centre.

Yes, just as I was starting to feel better I stood on a piece of glass, which went straight into the ball of my right foot. The staff were amazing, I was x-rayed, had it all cleaned and dressed, and was in my way home in less than 3 hours - alas it still hurts quite a bit so I may need to go and see about it, but that's something that I'm trying to avoid at the moment.

So what have I been doing, apart from coughing and spluttering that is? well I've been practising self care, I've been snuggling up with a nice hot water bottle, I've been reading books I've wanted to read for sometime, and I've been trying out lots of lovely face masks. 

I also celebrated a couple of things - Shrove Tuesday, with a mountain of gluten free pancakes, and of course my blogs 13th birthday, which was a bit of a milestone that unfortunately I couldn't share with you, and of course we had one horrible day of snow!

I did a little bit of online shopping and I treat myself to some new shoes, and a few of the NEXT limited edition beauty boxes, and I was also eventually overcome by the power of advertising on Facebook and I treat myself to a box of fudge from The Ochil Fudge Pantry - all I can say is YUM, my Grandma used to make tablet and my mam used to make fudge, and the bars I had took me straight back to my childhood!

When I've had the energy I have also been trying to do a little bit of blog work, I'm now so far behind with my Glossybox unboxings it's untrue but thanks to this little hiatus I've had plenty of time to try most of the products in every box, so I'm going to be bringing those unboxings and reviews right up to date just as soon as I can, as well as sharing lots of other content and reviews with you.

I know a lot of people are quite hesitant about posting quite light hearted things at the moment but personally it's what I need. Life is so scary and serious at the moment, I think we need a bit of light hearted relief so I'm just going to be posting my usually beauty, lifestyle and fashion content, all be it with little to no hauls. 

I'm not making light of things at all though, we've made the decision to stay away from my 89 year old Godmother, which is breaking my heart, and from this weekend myself and Mummy Lou will be self isolating for as long as it takes, my mum is over 70 and has several long term health conditions, and with my own health being so precarious lately, we're going to be following guidelines and staying indoors where we can. So providing I stay fit and healthy, I'll have plenty of down time so proper posting should resume soon x In the meantime keep washing your hands, follow government advice, and try and stay as safe as you can x Thanks again to all you for sticking with me and I will see you all soon x 

AD - Spreading The Cost Of Winter Fashion And Some New Online Discoveries*

Purely based on my own experience of talking to people, watching You Tube videos, reading magazines and reading blogs, I've discovered that when it comes to fashion, people roughly fall into two categories, there are spring and summer people, there are are autumn and winter people.

I definitely fall into the autumn and winter camp, I love jumpers, cardigans, warm scarves, and chunky and practical winter boots! Don't get me wrong I still love t-shirts and sandals but whether it's down to my body shape, my lifestyle, or even plain old personal preference, I love to cover up and to get warm and cosy.

At the moment I'm in my element, the shops at the moment are full of fabulous colours and fabulous winter styles but lets be honest, who really wants to brave the high street when it's cold and pouring with rain, or brave that out of town shopping centre when it's full of Christmas shoppers? Not me! At least not all of the time anyways/ I'm 100% in favour of supporting local businesses and our high streets, but sometimes especially when your health isn't the best like mine, it makes a lot more sense to do a least of some of your shopping online.

Although online shopping is a relatively new thing, distance shopping isn't a modern invention by any means, people have been shopping from catalogues since the 1800's and whilst I'm not quite that old, I have fond, childhood memories of circling things in my mam's mail order catalogue and trying to rest the huge, heavy book comfortably on my tiny knees!

Now pretty much every store has some sort of online or mail order shopping presence, and although catalogues aren't always the first place that you may think of when it comes to online shopping, in some cases they probably should be your first port of call no matter what you're looking for, but especially when it comes to shopping for winter fashion for the whole family.

Online catalogues are probably one of the best alternatives to actually getting out there and braving the high street. Not only is the whole shopping experience less stressful and less time consuming but you also have the added benefits of choice, convenience, easy price comparisons, the occasional option to spread the cost , and of course lots of special offers, all at your fingertips. If you're interested in picking up some new winter fashion pieces and you would like to spread the cost or at what can be an expensive time of year, or make your life just a little bit easier by shopping online, here are 2 online catalogues that may not have heard of that might be right up your street.

Fashion World

When it comes to clothes shopping, Fashion World really is the creme de la creme when it comes to catalogue shopping. Although like me, you may not have necessarily heard of Fashion World, you'll definitely have heard of some of the brands that they stock and some of their sister stores, websites and catalogues. Part of the JD Williams & Company group, one of the leading purveyors of mail order catalogues in the UK, Fashion World makes shopping quick, and easy. As well as a huge variety of women's clothing in sizes 12-32, Fashion World also stocks a range of men's and children's wear, as well as home items, electricals and Christmas gifts - so you can stock up on some winter fashion pieces and of course some festive gifts for both friends and family at the same time - convenient, guilt free shopping - what more could you want?!

Madeline 

If you're looking for fashions just that bit different, and with a bit more sophistication, and class then Madeline should probably be your first port of call. Established way back in 1977 Madeline are of one of the pioneers in the mail order fashion business and have operations both in the UK and in mainland Europe. They're easy to navigate online catalogue contains a wide variety of high fashion clothing, shoes and accessories that are perfect for this time of year. Focusing entirely on female fashion, the site contains everything for the autumn and winter season, from winter boots, to cosy scarves, smart work wear, sparkly evening wear and comfortable, yet stylish casual clothing. Madeline is considered by many to be the site for people who know what top fashion is all about and I can see why. Whilst often veering towards the classic their clothes seem to have enough of an edge to make them appeal to the most fashion conscious women out there, be it in the cut of a garment, in the shape of a collar or a seem or even in the buttons or on a trim, they really do seem to offer something that's just that little bit different. 

If you're anything like me then I know you'll probably need no excuse to go shopping, so I won't be responsible for any purchases made because of this post ;) I know I've definitely made a wishlist after checking out both of these online catalogues, and it's definitely made me wonder just how many other catalogues and shopping sites there are that I haven't discovered yet x The Internet really is a wonderful thing when it comes to shopping or even window shopping, it's easy, in a roundabout way it can save you money, it's convenient and you do it all from the comfort of your own home.

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AD - A Laptop Love In - Top 3 Budget Laptops And Buying Electronics On A Budget*

I still remember my first, my first computer that is! Way back in the late 80's or early 90's I had a Sinclair ZX Spectrum +2, it didn't do much, games were loaded onto a cassette, and to be honest I didn't get it, I just wasn't that interested in computers, I played the Oregon Trail at school and Donkey Kong at home and that was it -mehhh. By the time I started university though in the late 90's computers were starting to become something of a necessity, assignments had to be word processed, research need to be done, and there was no escaping it, I needed a computer, my first real computer was a Compaq Presario - a huge pile of cream metal and plastic, and do you know what I loved it. From blogging, to chat forums and of course online shopping, the Internet became my life and my escape.

Looking back now it's quite laughable it, and it's subsequent replacement were huge, big monitors, cables everywhere, and these huge tower units, that took up half the desk. I didn't mind though, I looked at laptops and I just didn't feel the same love towards them, it took me years and years before I gave in and switched to something more portable and do you know what I've never looked back. My first love was a tiny little net book, quickly followed by an ACER or two, and do you know what? I've never ever missed my hefty, cumbersome desktop, they're small, powerful, and portable and basically everything that you could want and need in one tiny (ish) package.

A few years ago I took a big step and left the world of Windows behind and I got myself a MacBook, and again, embracing change paid dividends I love it and I'm a totally Apple convert. Lets be realistic though, they are super expensive and if I'm being really honest I could have bought something a bit cheaper and it could probably have done the same job. When it comes to laptops, I don't think the majority of us really need to spend a fortune, obviously if your a graphic designer, artist or a gamer, then you may need something a bit more powerful but for the majority of us, you can get something with all the latest technology without spending silly money.

Seeing as we're coming into what for a lot of people is the most expensive time of the year, the thought of shelling out on a laptop either for yourself, or for someone else as a gift can been pretty terrifying, but there are ways and means to make both finding that perfect laptop and paying for it easier, If you're looking for a great laptop at a budget price, then the UK market has plenty to offer. There are a staggering number of laptops out there, but here's a look at 3 that you will definitely want to take check out:

1. ACER CB3-131 11.6 Inch Chromebook

This little beauty is made for those who want to step outside of the Windows world and step into the world of the Google Chrome operating system. The ultra sleek unit is 11 inches wide and has 2GB of RAM and as well as looking good it weighs less than 1kg. It is tailored to students for the most part because it's easy to transport and carry. The hard drive is only 16GB but as well as being able to store information on the Google Cloud, you also expand your storage with a USB drive. Compact and powerful this particular ACER Chromebook currently retails at around £199

2. ACER Aspire E15

If you're looking for something just that little bit special and with a lot more storage then the ACER Aspire E15 series could be right up your street. This specific version is ultra light, allowing you to use it just about anywhere. With a 1 terabyte hard drive and 4Gb of RAM, the Aspire E15 has plenty of power and acres of storage space, and if you're into gaming or photography, or if you want to use your laptop to watch movies, then you have a 15.6" screen for that inclusive, full colour viewing experience. Giving the size and the features this one is a little bit more expensive at around £349 but for the features and the technology it's still excellent value for money.

3. ASUS Chromebook Flip

If you can't decide between a laptop and a tablet then this one could be for you. With a full rotatable sleek metal body and a back lit keyboard, the laptops in the ASUS Chromebook Flip series have a full HD screen, and 2 USB ports, as well as a 64GB hard drive and 4 GB RAM. Whilst anyone would love to own this beautiful laptop, the look, feel and finish ideally suits professional and it would fit perfectly into any office environment. Price varies depending on the model but one of these beauties would set you back at around £400.

These are just some of the excellent value laptops on the market at the moment but if you're looking to buy a new one either for yourself or for someone else, and whether you're on a budget or even if you're not, then there are ways to not only find the best deals and offers, but also to help you stagger those payments by using a site like Want Gadgets. As well as hints and tips on what laptop to buy they also offer information on buying new, and second hand products and even renting laptops and various other electrical items including televisions, games consoles, tablets and even mobile phones.

Buying a high price electronic item is a considered purchased for most people, so the more research that you can do the better, but it is good to know that there are so many sources of information and advice out there to make that decision making just that little bit easier, from product information, to price comparisons, offers, and finance plans, the world really is at our fingertips and where would we be without a computer? It's amazing how things have changed even in my lifetime!

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A Beauty Sale Haul Featuring Boots,SpaceNK And The Body Shop

As much as I love shopping, for some reason I can never seem to get excited about the post Christmas and January sales. I hate getting up early, and I can't stand all of the pushing, and shoving and hustle and bustle so I tend to avoid the shops until well into the New Year. Online shopping though is another matter and as soon as a lot of shops stop delivering in time for Christmas, you can pretty much guarantee, that their online sales will follow soon after.

I normally start off any sales shop by working out what I actually need, with clothes it's always the basics, but when it comes to beauty, I'm pretty easy, sometimes I'll go for things I know and love and sometimes I'll take advantage of a sale price to try something new.

I'm always a bit loathed to place online orders with SpaceNK, thanks to their over inflated postage but they had a few good offers on so I decided to take advantage and place a little order. A lot of stores seem to have had sale stock issues this year, and some of my order was subsequently cancelled so I didn't save as much as I would have liked but I did manage to get two things.

Lipstick Queen is a new brand to me and one that I'd wanted to try for a long time. This is the Lipstick Queen Chinatown Three To Thrill Set.

The set contains 3, 3g Lipstick Queen Glossy Pencils, in some of the brands most popular shades, Chinatown Chase, Chinatown Pink Bluff, Chinatown Catalina. I love this type of product so I thought that this kit would be a really good introduction to the brand. I think I'll get more use out of the pink based shades, Pink Bluff and Catalina, but despite looking a little bit scary in the tube Chase, is actually a much more wearable, subtle pale, coral, red, shade. Unfortunately due to the lousy weather we've had lately, I haven't managed to photograph any swatches for you but if you watch the video at the end of this post. hopefully you'll be able to get some idea of what they look like.

Although these pencils aren't full size I still think that this kit was well worth the money. It was originally £18 but I got it for just £7.50. Unfortunately this set seems to have sold out online but all of the shades are available in the full 7g size for £22 each.

In an ideal world I would now be showing you some of the beautiful Laura Mercier Creme Brulee products but it wasn't to be, so instead I'm showing you a beautifully boxed nail polish from Rococo.

The box maybe beautiful but the bottle itself it quite plain, thank heavens for the gorgeous colour inside.

It's quite hard to see here, but Rococo Nail Apparel in 8559 Mystic Luxe is a purple, blue shade which is crammed full of silver shimmer. My picture aren't really doing it justice but it a really pretty colour,

I don't think it's anything overly unusual but it looked so pretty, and since it was reduced from £12 to just £3, it gave me the perfect opportunity to try a new nail polish brand. This colour is still available on the SpaceNK website along with several other Rococo colours.

One of the brands that SpaceNK sell is This Works and whilst they did have a few kits in the sale they didn't have the one thing that I did want, so I looked elsewhere and thankfully Boots came up trumps.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a frustrating illness, you can either sleep the clock round or you can't sleep at all. I suffer from terrible insomnia at times, and after watching a few presentations on QVC I really fancied trying the This Works Plus + Pillow Spray.

I can be a bit funny with scent though, so I didn't want to launch straight in and buy the full size, so this seemed to be an ideal solution. The This Works Sleep + Cracker contains a 10ml bottle of the Plus + Pillow Spray which contains a variety of essential oils, and ingredients, which is clinically proven to help provide a better nights sleep. This cracker was originally £12 and I got it for £8, I haven't tried it yet but I'm looking forward to giving it a go.

I can pretty much guarantee now that I'll get at least one Soap & Glory kit for Christmas, and Christmas 2015 was no exception. I was lucky enough to get the big The Whole SheBang set. I love everything in it and I particularly excited to try the tinted body cream, but at the same time I was a bit disappointed that this years set didn't include any of the Sugar Crush products. I love the zesty, yet warm lime fragrance so I couldn't resist buying this kit.

I admit it part of the reason I went for this kit was down to the bag, the Soap & Glory Get A Smooth On kit, came in a gorgeous, holographic silver, barrel bag.

I love anything holographic, and the fact that this bag contains products from the Sugar Crush was just a bonus. The bag contains a 500ml Soap&Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash. a 300ml Soap&Glory Sugar Body Wash and a 300ml Soap&Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream. Ahh limey heaven but my excitement quickly faded when I realised that there was a product missing!

This kit should also have included a 100ml Soap&Glory Sugar Crush Body Spray. I would normally have sent the whole kit back but it was sold out and I really wanted the bag so I emailed Boots customer service, and thankfully they came up trumps. They apologised and added 500 points to my advantage card - 400 to cover the cost of the product and 100 for the inconvenience. Thanks Boots, customer service at it's best even at their busiest time of year! This kit was originally £35 and I got it for £17.50 which was half price x

Something else that's become a bit of a Christmas tradition is The Body Shop and their festive fragrances. I picked up a few bits before Christmas but as soon as the sale launched online. I ordered a few extra bits.

I didn't go mad, and I only bought exactly what I wanted. I bought another 200ml bottle of the Frosted Cranberry Shower Gel, which I love and I've bought for years, and I bought a couple of the Glazed Apple items. I must admit I wasn't sure about the Glazed Apple range when it launched in 2014 but it's really, really grown on me. I think I wanted it to be a traditional apple fragrance but it's not, it's sharp, yet sweet, sugary and fruity. I can't describe it really but it's my in shower favourite at the moment so I bought a few extra bits to see my through the year as I don't think that it's a Christmas specific scent - I got a 200ml Glazed Apple Body Butter and a 250ml Glazed Apple Shower Gel. There are still a few festive sale bits available online so move quick if you want to stock up.

Although I didn't go totally crazy I'm still really happy with my sale haul. I picked up some definite favourites and a few new things to try so I'm pretty pleased. I've made a little video to accompany this haul, so have a watch even if it's only to see the Lipstick Queen swatches x



I've only bought a couple of other things in the sales, so I probably won't be doing another sale haul post, but if you've bought anything amazing or found a fabulous bargain I'd love to hear about it, so leave me a comment and let me know your favourite sale buys x

Lou On Ebay Shopping And A Small Haul

It's been a little while since I've posted a haul, well it hasn't really, but for me 3 weeks is a long time! I actually had 3 haul posts planned before Christmas but at the risk of sounding like a broken record again, life got in the way! - time management is definitely something I need to work on in 2016! It was mainly beauty so no doubt you'll see some of the items in due course but I've decided to just leave it, sweep the slate clean and start afresh with lots of new hauls in 2016.

That said, I am going to make a little exception and show you a few things that I've bought recently from ebay. I love ebay - even though I'm no longer an active seller, I can always find something to buy, and it's one of my go to places to find unusual, and hard to find gifts.

Normally my ebay festive shopping goes without a hitch, I order in plenty of time, the goods arrive and I'm happy, this year though has been a bit if a fail. Despite ordering in plenty of time I'm still waiting for 2 parcels, and 3 have already been declared missing and I've received refunds from the sellers. It's bad enough when your buyiing something for yourself, but when it;s for a gift it's doubly annoying!

Never mind I've still managed to get a few pressies from ebay this year that I know my recipents will love so it isn't all bad. I also bought myself a few things that I want to share with you x

Although I'm a little bit late this year, last night I made my bed and put on my festive bedding. I don't know when the trend for festive duvet sets started but it's definitely one that I embrace. My set is just a grey and white, Nordic feel, heart and snowflake design - it's not as in your face as some I've seen but I like it's more simplistic, feel and it goes nicely with my room.

I have a few tonal cushions already but I fancied a festive cushion to coordinate with my duvet set and this one fits the bill perfectly.

It's made of a slightly, rustic, textured feel fabric, and it features a navy blue, natural and grey deer (or elk) and butterfly design. Despite the deer I don't think that this cushion is that christmassy so I might be able to get away with it throughout the winter at least. I know that it probably isn't much use for this year but this cushion was just £2.77 including postage from this seller,

Sticking with the Christmas theme I also bought myself this silver tone, stretch, charm bracelet

I'm a huge fan of Dutch fashion jewellery brand, Bibi Bijoux but their items are pretty expensive for what they are. This British ebay seller mandymax1971 though, makes jewellery in a very similar style. I've saved a lot of her items to my wishlist but this bracelet was a must have for the festive season. It isn't so crazily festive that you couldn't wear it all year round but it has a definite Christmas feel and features an angel, a tinkling bell and several star charms.It was just £3.49 plus 99p for UK standard delivery from North East based seller mandymax1971. I definitely want at least one of her necklaces and some more of her bracelets - the charms and quality are very similar to Bibi Bijoux only at a tiny fraction of the price.

I know I've had quire a few new followers late and something that you'll learn is that I'm pretty obsessed with jewellery - I love the stuff, I love expensive pieces as much as the next person but I'm always on the look out for bargains and if your the same ebay is definitely the place to shop.

One of my favourite semi- precious gemstones has to be Tigers Eye, I love the warm brown, and honey tones, and love the individuality of each of stone. I have quite a few pieces in my collection already, ranging from delicate sterling silver pendants, to huge chunky, necklaces, and bracelets, but up until recently I didn't have any earrings. Although I love dangly bold earrings, on a day to day basis and normally just go for a small hoop or a stud, so these ones fit the bill perfectly.

Their just a small oval shaped, tigers eye stone set into a small silver plated stud. They were exactly what I'd been looking for and at just £1.99 with £1.75 postage from this seller in India, I think that they were pretty reasonable. I bought a couple of other things from the same seller from Mummy Lou and I have to say I was really impressed with both the quality, and the delivery times.

These earrings are quite understated and quite classic but the other pair that I picked up recently have a funkier, modern feel.

These fashion jewelley earrings have a retro, geometric style, that immediately appealed to my hipper side. Basically what they are is a twisted, gold tone circle with lies flat against the ear, and dangling from it is a series of gold tone rings, and 3 monochrome, rectangular charms. These earrings were just 99p including postage from this seller. They have a nice lightweight feel in the ears, and they have that nice tinkle when you move your ears - a little bit like sleigh bells ;)

My final purchase isn't home or jewellery related, it is in fact beauty related. I must say I am careful about what beauty products I buy on ebay as I've been duped in the past, but I do buy the occasional Asian beauty product and I sometimes buy designer inspired make up brushes.

When I first saw these toothbrush / paddle brush type make up brushes I have to admit like most of the beauty community, I was intrigued - were they just a gimmick? did they work? hmm, as intrigued as I was though I wasn't willing to spend MAC's prices. So like a lot of things I just forgot about it, until a month or so ago when I was looking for another brush brand dupe and I saw this one.

I haven't tried it yet and I'm not 100% sure what it's for but all I can say at the moment it that it feels super soft, and silky on the skin. I'm going to do a little bit of research before I give it a go, so if any of you have idea how to use it then please let me know x I paid just £1.10 including postage for it from this seller x

So that was my latest haul and probably my last proper haul of 2015. I can't help thinking of the things that didn't arrive but I'm pretty happy with my ebay purchases and the things that I've bought for others and I got my refunds so I can't really complain x Have you bought anything interesting from ebay lately? Leave me a comment and let me know, and if you've done a post or a video link me up xx