What To Do With Things That Won’t Fit In Your House*

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Let’s face it; not everything we have in our home really fits! Some things we keep in our home just because we like them being there and don’t want them moved and we hold sentimental value to a lot of things but in reality they just get in our way and clutter our homes- so what can we do about it? Well, if you carry on reading you’re going to find out what you can do with that extra stuff that’s in your house.

Get Storage Boxes

Some things we just can’t find it within ourselves to throw away. Whether it’s an old heirloom passed down through generations, or something your parents got you as a kid, we just can’t bring it upon ourselves to get rid of them! This is why you should really consider getting some storage boxes. These plastic boxes are cheap to buy and are very hard wearing- and the best bit about them is that they have a huge storage space inside them which you can take advantage of! They’re also very sturdy meaning that whatever you put inside them is going to be protected. Most plastic storage boxes are stackable too, meaning that you can put them on top of each other without worrying about any of them falling off!

Storage Facilities

Sometimes the stuff that we want to store is simply too large to keep at home. A garage is the perfect place for it but it could be getting damaged inside there so you need a viable alternative. This is where storage facilities come into play. They are essentially massive lockers for you to put stuff into, all you have to do is pay the rent on them and you’re set to go! This is an excellent option for things that are large and expensive because the storage spaces are huge, so for something that you want to keep but don’t have the room for it’s definitely an option you should look at.

Donating To Charity

This is a great way to get rid of some of the stuff you don’t need anymore and for an honourable cause. Charities all across the country ask for people’s old and unused items so that they can either sell them to make money for their cause or to actually give them away to people who need it most. Charities like oxfam regularly accept donations, so if you’ve got some items that you know not what to do with donate them to a good cause.

All of these things are going to save you room in your house your lost items are going to have somewhere to finally stay, whether it be small, old items that hide away in storage boxes for a few years until you get them out again, or for the big expensive ones that you just don’t have the room for! Decorating your house is also part of owning one, not just keeping it clean, so if you’re stuck for some ideas then read this!

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Late to the Game

It’s probably not escaped anyone’s notice that off the shoulder has been a big trend over the last few months. As is standard with me it’s a fashion that I’m very slow on the uptake with, and it’s only now, thanks to a collaboration with online fashion retailer WearAll that I’m trying it out.

This post is the first of three in partnership with WearAll, a brand I also teamed up with last year. They’ve got some great on trend pieces in stock at the moment and everything is super affordable too.

Dress c/o WearAll (get it here) | Shoes c/o Lotus

This isn’t my usual style of dress at all, I’ve always dismissed it as being too young for me, or too dressy for the kind of life I lead. That and I assumed that the off the shoulder design would be irritating- it’s not in this case thanks to the addition of thin straps too. This is exactly why I love collaborating with brands though- a chance to try things I’d otherwise never get around to and discovering that actually, I can pull it off.

Teamed with these vibrant blue court shoes from Lotus this is the kind of outfit I’d wear for a date night with Bob. I can equally see myself dressing it down a bit with a pair of Converse or my pink puma trainers to make it more suitable for day wear. Either way I do really like this dress and it’s a welcome addition to my wardrobe. Long term readers will know I’m partial to a spot of floral and the colours in this dress make it ideal for the upcoming Autumn months.

Are there any styles you tend to avoid? If so, do you think you could be persuaded to give them a go? Let me know in the comments and stay tuned for the next of my WearAll outfit posts.

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Degustabox August 2017

Another month and another delivery from foodie subscription service Degustabox*. Unless you are brand new to my blog (in which case, Hi!) you’ll know this is a regular feature. As with last month I’ve done my absolute best to try everything in the box, but time constraints and wanting to get a post up in a fairly prompt manner means that there are a couple of things I’m yet to sample. I’ll pop up some mini reviews of these on social media when I do try them for anyone who is as curious as I currently am.

For those who don’t yet know, Degustabox* is a monthly food subscription box that gives you the chance to try new and exciting products on the market whilst providing amazing value for money.

Kicking off with the drinks selection, this month we have some coconut water with ginger and vodka from Twisted Halo (£1.50) and limited edition summer bottles from Orangina. I haven’t tried the Vodka drink yet, although it does sound tempting even to my coconut water hating self. I kind of feel like it might be a bit of a gimmick tapping in to the coconut water craze, but the flavour combination sounds lovely and it’s chilling in my fridge just waiting for the weekend.
Orangina is of course nothing new but these summer bottles are worth checking out. It reminds me of long, hot summer days- bought bang up to date with it’s trendy nautical stripes! You can pick these up for £1.20 each.
Tapping in to the “back to school” market is JellySqueeze- jelly in a pouch that is ideal for eating on the go and suitable those who are gluten and lactose free, vegan or vegetarian. I won’t be trying this as I have a long-standing aversion to jelly but they seem like a great idea for lunch boxes and picnics (£0.69 each).
These Light Bites popped chips are a diet product that is exclusive to Superdrug and something I’d ignore on the shelf due to it’s branding. However, they are delicious, especially the pesto and sundried tomato flavour and at under 100 calories per pack are great for anyone counting calories (or to eat two bags at once if you are me- all in the name of a fair review). A bit pricey at 99p a bag, but a nice treat.
I love noodles and these packs from Maggi are great. These “fusian” noodles come infused with sauce and veggies and create a light meal or side in only four minutes- a great emergency dinner and super tasty. £1.39 per pack.
I think I’ve mentioned my love of condiments before and Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce (£1.89) is a welcome addition to my cupboard. Delivery more tang than spice I’ve been putting this on literally everything- pizza, pasta, fish, meat…you name it and I’ve tried it!
Helmans mayonnaise needs no introduction or a review but this squeezy bottle is a no fuss, no mess solution to picnics and BBQs and a handy size if you’re not a frequent consumer (£1.69).
When I was growing up Seabrook crisps were a weekend treat- my favourite back then, and still is now the salt & vinegar flavour- so packed full of taste and at £1.00 for a multipack of six (also contains sea salted and cheese & onion) they are a bit of a bargain too.
Saving the best ’til last, I always look forward to the monthly sweet treats in Degustabox! This month we had Curlywurly Squirlies (£1.99) which are bite size Curlywurly bars in a sharing (hah!) format, as well as Cadbury Dairy Milk big taste toffee whole nut (£0.65) which I passed to my Dad- we reviewed the large format of this bar a couple of months ago and it was a hit, so this single serving bar was needless to say, also a winner.

Refreshers sweets were another childhood favourite and they’ve now been reinvented in to a softies format (£1.00). All the fizz you remember but in a soft and chewy sweet instead- I’d say these aren’t quite as fizzy and I still prefer the original but at the same time I happily worked my way through this bag.

Last but not least comes the Black ‘N White PICK UP! bar from Bahlsen (£1.69) which I think I reviewed once before. A delicious bar of white chocolate sandwiched between two chocolate flavour biscuits- these are so good. Seriously. It’s just as well they are individually wrapped because otherwise I’d be tempted to see the entire pack as a serving size.

On a month by month basis the box costs £12.99 (with a discount for longer subscriptions) but the contents are generally worth far more than this as you can see if you do the maths.
If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim a brilliant £7.00 off of your first box (making it just £5.99!) by entering the code 6HZJ8 at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand regularly over the last couple of years and it’s without a doubt something that I will continue to purchase long after our partnership ends. I love the monthly surprise and excitement as well as the chance to discover products I’d otherwise pass up on the supermarket shelves.

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these products and what you thought of them.

Baring all with Quiz Clothing

2017 has been the first year in a considerable while where I haven’t had a wedding or other special event to go to. I still love a cheeky browse of occasion dresses though, especially as one of my cousins got engaged at the weekend so there is definitely at least one wedding on the horizon.

I was recently contacted by Quiz Clothing who matched me with the dreamiest, most stunning dress- and whilst it might be a bit OTT for a wedding I’m very much hoping that I can find some cause to wear this other than prancing around the garden.

Dress c/o Quiz Clothing (here) | Shoes: Mary Portas at Clarks (old)

If I were shopping for a dress then nude wouldn’t be a colour I’d usually consider, I’d long ago dismissed it as a bit…naked looking if I’m honest and not something that would suit me.
Popping this sequin adorned maxi dress on though and I’m converted. For the time it took to get these photos I felt like a complete princess- I wish it was acceptable to dress like this every day!

The process of getting these photos did stir up a few conflicting feelings though. As I said, this dress really does make me feel like a princess but at the same time it clings, it sticks to curves I’m only just starting to see appear. It hammers home just how much my body has changed in the last few months and of course that is a bittersweet moment.

My main issue right now is that I’m only about 50 percent of the way through the weight gain process, but in my mind, thanks to the twisted grasp of an eating disorder I’m already there and beyond. Putting on an outfit like this can really play havoc with that mindset and it’s actually taken a huge amount of courage to post these photos due to how I see them vs. how I’m assured the rest of the world (well, my readers) will see them.

And still I persist. Onwards and onwards to a life where I don’t care that my arms aren’t stick like, that my stomach isn’t concave and my face is fuller. In the past I’ve always had in the back of my mind that if I don’t feel good at my target weight I can always go back- as warped as that sounds. This time I don’t have that. This time it’s final and I refuse to entertain ever going backwards again. It’s making this whole journey that much more difficult whilst I’m going through it- but the future? MY future? That excites me in ways I can’t even begin to explain.

Back in to the world of fashion & shopping now and I am absolutely loving some of the new arrivals on the Quiz Clothing website. I’ve always advocated them on the blog but right now there is literally SO much I want- if you’re looking for affordable and on trend wardrobe updates then do pop along and check them out…as you can see, they’re particularly good for a fancy dress or two.

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Ruffle Up

New season styles are hitting the shops and on my recent foray in to town, despite being reluctant to buy anything from the Autumn/Winter collections because it’s supposedly still Summer I couldn’t resist the lure of some quite trans-seasonal pieces from Zara. I have a love-hate relationship with Zara, it’s one of those shops where I go in sometimes and find absolutely nothing, and then I go in perhaps a few weeks later and love everything I see.
My last visit to the Cabot Circus store saw me fall in love with just about every item (including these rather fabulous trousers which I’d never wear, but if I was rich I’d buy them just to look at!). This blue dress with it’s sporty aesthetic and ruffle detail front isn’t the sort of thing I’d ever consider but the bright colour jumped out and me and I figured I had nothing to lose by trying it on.

Sometimes it pays to step out of your comfort zone. I love the relaxed fit of this dress and it’s bold colour combination. I couldn’t resist jazzing it up further with my pink Puma trainers- the perfect way to liven up those dull and dreary days that seem to be coming ever more frequent.

This was one of two pieces I picked up from Zara, the other I will eventually get round to posting when I ever get some spare time. Life is very busy right now, hence the sudden decline in the amount of posts I’ve been putting up. It’s not going to get any better for the next few weeks- a new venture at work and then a week away in Scotland with my boyfriend are both going to get in the way. But I wouldn’t change it for the world- I spent 2016 quite literally on hold with my life and now things are picking up it feels full on, but also that I’m making up for lost time.

Hopefully by mid-September things will be calming down and I might even be feeling more inspired when it comes to content for the blog. If you have any suggestions of what you’d like to see then do feel free to leave them in the comments, I’m all for out-sourcing my ideas.

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