Fun and Games with Groupon

Who remembers Quoits? Perhaps I’m alone in this being one of my favourite childhood garden games; I have so many happy memories of trying to get hoops over the pegs (always overshadowed by my champion Grandad) but not many other people seem to know what I’m talking about, and I was having trouble tracking a new set down.

That trouble ended recently thanks to Groupon who recently offered me a voucher to spend on their site. I’ve been aware of Groupon for some time but had always been wary about using it, wondering if it really was too good to be true,
and living in Bristol, a lot of the best deals are missed, so I headed straight for the goods section where I clapped eyes on a retro garden games offer…
Quoits, at a bargain price?! On to a winner!

I was really impressed with the way Groupon operated. I was under the impression I’d be waiting months to recieve my deal,
but the parcel was on my door within a week. The instructions for redeeming a deal were easy to follow and there were no hiccups along the way.

Now all I need is some sunshine and a few team players…

Blogger tournament anyone?

What’s your best deal from Groupon been?

PLEASE tell me you remember Quoits?!

xxx

Guest Post; The Resurgence of Red Hair

I love being a red-head.

• A Little History Lesson About Red Hair

The resurgence of red hair is an exciting and new trend hitting many areas of the world this
year. Lots of fashion-forward girls are saying goodbye to the recently trendy platinum and jet
black looks, now enthusiastically experimenting with all shades of red. This new craze has
left many people wondering, “Why has red hair reclaimed a spot in high fashion?”

To answer this question, we first have to look back to times when red locks were all the rage.
When was this? In the 70’s, when being a flower child and rocking at live festivals was what
all the cool kids were doing. Red hair was accepted during these times for its introverted
beauty; natural red heads were often scoffed prior years for physical attributes such as pale
skin and freckles. However, when the 70’s hit, the unique red head look was considered
natural and beautiful.

In recent years, trending fashion has gone from futuristic and sleek (90’s, early 2000’s) to a
complete 180, with reclamation for hippie girl chic fashions and a new love for the bohemian
look. Only in the last couple of years years has this phenomenon moved even further to an
obsession for red hair, thanks to a couple factors that greatly influenced pop culture and
fashion. One defining factor was how prevalent fire truck red hair was seen in mainstream
rock bands such as Paramore, and the other was how intensely red hair was being glorified in
fashion shows and advertisements by popular luxury designers.

• A Guide to Shades
As summer has slowly descended upon us in 2012, so has the new love for red hair. In this
age, the look is beautiful on just about any skin tone; however, it’s important to match the
correct shade of dye with your complexion in order to get the exact results you’re looking for.

For girls with a very fair skin complexion, a very light strawberry red blond mix is perfect.
Depending on your style preferences, you can also go bright or dark red to create a super
contrasting look. Just remember, this look will be very intense and grab lots of attention.

For those with olive skin, auburn is the best and most natural appearing options. It’s often
difficult for those with olive skin to pull off red hair, but this shade is the one exception that
looks absolutely gorgeous.

Girls with a very dark complexion can practically pull off any shade of red. Picking a darker
dye will appear more natural, as lighter dyes will create an intense contrast with the skin,
making your dye job very noticeable and unnatural looking.

• What Looks Best
When choosing outfits and looks for your new (or natural!) red locks, it’s important to match
styles with your shade to create the ultimate fashion statement and have onlookers jealous.

If you’re one of those courageous fair skinned girls that decided to go with a dark shade of
red in order to contrast, try experimenting with “scene” styles. Scene styles are a combination
of hip-hop and 80’s neon inspired clothing. Shops such as Forever21 and Hottopic have a
massive array of clothing that can help you create this bright and brave look.

If you chose a more laid-back shade of red, consider embracing the recent bohemian chic
craze. This look pays complete tribute to 70’s girly fashions, and is currently available in
practically any shop you can think of that offers designer clothing. The mixture of red locks
and a modern spin on groovy girl style will have you looking astounding and stylistically
relevant.

Author Bio: Rebecca Jones has been a devoted hair and beauty fanatic as far back as she can
remember. She had worked in salons for six years before she began work for Hair Care Help.
Pay her site a visit for all of your bedhead needs.

the bright side

Looking at these photos, you probably wouldn’t know I had spent a week in 30+ degree heat, I felt brown (for me) whilst I was out there but back in England I feel distinctly pale still! De Nada, at least I had no sunburn! Most of my tan is made up of freckles, as seen on my face! Once an English Rose, always an English Rose!

Primark dress, Shellys shoes c/o Sarenza.

Drying my “I miss Spain” tears on napkins, from my authentic Spanish napkin holder, donated by one of the many cafes we visited after a little bit of persuasion on Ellie’s behalf!

Well, work calls…I could have done with another week off to recover!

xxx

Sarenza Shoe of the Week

And the normal blogging schedule resumes (as does life and the real world)…I hope everyone is well?

The Spanish sun might have gone to my head a little, I wouldn’t usually even contemplate the idea of a pair of sandals costing almost £130 but these Coral beauties by Belle at Sarenza have well and truly won me over. Perhaps the fact I have the merest hint of a tan has affected my judgement?

What do you think? Is this post holiday blues talking or do I make a valid point?

xxx

More from Spain

5 Cents of amusement!

 The little beach at Torremuelle.

 Soft serve fro-yo in Malaga!

 Most amazing salad EVER (so good we went twice!) at Papas in Malaga

 View from the top of the Palacio Hotel in Malaga (we chilled for a good few hours up here, bliss!)

 Freshly cooked Sardines and Red Snapper in Torremolinos; eaten on the beach front.

 Once again on top of the Hotel

 View from our apartment at the Hotel Vista de Rey

 Flights of Nancy hand luggage!

 Coffee stop in Malaga!

I may not have the words to sum up our holiday, but I can dump a load of photos on you and let you work it out for yourselves!

The last photo, taken by Ellie was taken in Benalmadena and really sums up so much of what this holiday was about…for me, eating and enjoying ice cream, spur of the moment in full view of everyone marks a turning point. I have finally come to peace with a lot of my battles, have realised just how much the world has to offer and how I need and WANT to be healthy so I can do all the things I want to do but had previously written off. I have a genuine excitment for the future and I refuse to hold myself back.

Enjoy

((I promise that’s it for holiday photos now!))