Tips for Saving Money on Holidays*

For most of us, holidays are the time that we cherish, doing what we love to do. It can be anything from sitting back and relaxing to something adventurous and sporty. With holiday season in full swing a lot of us are looking for ways to reduce the amount of money we pay for our entertainment. It all starts at the saving money and booking stage and continues right through to souvenir shopping whilst away. Here are some top tips for reducing holiday financial freak outs and getting the most out of your stay.
1- Toiletries
It’s tempting to stock up on travel sized toiletries for your trip but if you look carefully you’ll see you are paying a massive premium for the luxury. Instead pick up some cheap empty containers from the pound shop and decant your regular size products in to those. You can also pack along free samples of various products in magazines or on websites sites like WOW FreeStuff. Sample products come in sachets and single use form which makes them perfect for traveling. You’ll also find plenty of discounts and vouchers when you search online.
2- Get the most out of your Daily-Use Products

There are a lot of daily-use products that can be used not only for their intended purpose but for a surprising number of things. For example toothpaste can not only help you keep your teeth clean and your breath fresh throughout the day but it can also be used to soothe mosquito bites. You can use tea which is usually offered for free at various hotels as an after-sun to soothe the redness (apply it cold!). You can also apply petroleum jelly on minor skin burns and can also use it for removing makeup.
3- Reading Material and Books

Books always turn out to be a great companion on long journeys and as a beach companion. If you like reading it is highly unlikely that you wouldn’t want to pack some for your vacations. Buying new books is always thrilling for book-reading enthusiasts but moving onto e-books can save you a lot of money and space in your suitcase. You can read an e-book anywhere you like with much ease thanks to an e-reader, smartphone or a tablet. You can pick up daily bargains on books from sites like Amazon as well as a plethora of free reading material. If you don’t like the idea of staring at a screen for the sake of reading a lot of hotels feature free libraries compiled by the books left by their previous guests same taste in vacation spot means you’re very likely to find a book of your taste as well as the chance to discover something new.

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Embroidery and Elephants

With my love of Henryka Jewellery already well documented on the blog it won’t surprise you in the least that I follow pretty much all of their social media channels. So when, last week I caught sight of a stunning new arrival and then kindly offered to send me one that I graciously (and very swiftly) accepted.

Elephant pendant c/o Henryka

Whilst all of the stone choices were stunning for some reason rose quartz has always been something I am drawn to, rumoured to lower stress and tension in the heart, allowing repair of the damage caused my negative emotions (an also known as the romance stone as it’s believed it can also attract love) this was always the stone I picked when taken to various fossil and crystal shops on Devon holidays as a child.

The detailing on the Indian elephant is just beautiful and it hangs like a dream from it’s 16.5″ chain. It seems to be, the perfect summer silver accessory and as such I’ve been wearing it non-stop.

Vest: Primark (last year) | Jeans: Glamorous (some sizes still available) | Sandals: Sarenza (similar here)

Technically I’m on a clothes buying ban until I’ve put on enough weight to buy things that will fit me in the long term, just not for this interim period but these jeans…oh these jeans broke me! I’d been eyeing them up full price, so I when I saw them in the sale for just £15 I caved. And you know what? That’s ok, I refuse to feel bad about that. Just because I’m not in the greatest place physically or mentally right now I still deserve treats…and a pair of jeans that doesn’t leave my arse exposed to the world is actually kind of essential right?

I got a distinct 90s vibe from this outfit. I don’t know if it was the plaits that tipped the balance, the flatform sandals or just the “mom jeans” style but I felt transported back a couple of decades. Which is no bad thing in my eyes as long as there is a resurgence of shell suits any time soon.

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Bright & Bold picks from the MyBag sale

Sale season is a real test of my willpower and restraint. Now, more so than ever I need to be watching what I spend and not making rash purchase but when every shop on the high street and online is selling amazing wares at bargain prices it does make it highly likely that at some point I am going to take leave of my senses and cave in.

Today’s “I’m off sick and bored so might as well torture myself with online window shopping” website of choice is Mybag.com who are currently offering up to 40% off some of their extensive range of bags and accessories. As we’ve been blessed with such gorgeous weather lately my eyes have been wandering towards some of the brightest offerings and I’ve compiled my current wish list below (well, a rather scaled down one if I’m honest).

Aspinal of London | Michael Kors | Lulu Guiness | Lauren Ralph Lauren | Diane von Furstenberg | Furla

All of these would be just so perfect for the summer months and a great companion to my current favoured all denim attire. As it stands I’ve only just been able to justify only two sales purchases in the form of an £8 denim skirt and £15 pair of jeans, both essential and both regretfully not a bright and bold handbag!

Have you made the best of the bargains on offer? Which of these bags do you fancy the most?

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*post contains affiliate links*

Bloggers’ Beauty Secrets with Essence

I’ve posted before about my love of bargain cosmetics brand Essence so I was really excited when another package from them dropped through my door last week. Essence teamed up with four beauty bloggers to create the “bloggers’ beauty secrets” collection where each created their own palettes and nail polishes. I admit I do usually steer clear of this kind of thing as it can seem a bit gimmicky but given that Essence are yet to fail me with the quality of their products and have previously hooked me up with the only bronzer I’ll ever use I thought it was only fair to go in to this with an open mind.
I’ve always got on well with Essence nail polishes and these were no exception. The pale blue “shine bright” is a gorgeous pastel shade that complimented my cool skin tone perfectly and the nude “all eyes on me” has just become my staple nail colour for every day wearing. They both apply wonderfully and dry fast. You can get away with just one coat of the nude, but you would definitely need two of the blue to avoid any streaks.
I was more nervous about the palette, called “the glow must go on” it looked quite dark and daunting in the packaging and I’m super pale which often leads to a muddy effect. In reality though the shades of the bronzer blend together well to give just a hint of colour and glow with a light touch application although this could easily be built up for a more dramatic effect. The same goes for the eyeshadows which took a little blending but were perfect for an easy summer look. This would be a great palette to pack for a holiday as you’ve pretty much got a complete look ready to go and should I manage to get away this summer I know it’ll be coming with me- bonus points for being so light and compact!

Excuse my slightly dishevelled appearance. It was 30 odd degrees when I took that photo and well, humidity and I do not get along!

You can find out more about essence and the collaboration on the Essence website. I’d love to know your thoughts.

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The one where I actually get dressed!

Sick leave has made me lazy when it comes to getting dressed. Most days I just chuck on a pair of jeans and a slogan tee, or my trust denim pinafore and call it job done. This might be practical but doesn’t always lend itself to feeling confident so on the days where I know I am seeing someone or going somewhere I do push myself to make a bit of an effort!

Dress c/o Lilac Rose | Tee: New Look (old) | Converse: Schuh

This Emily and Fin dress is one of my favourite dresses and I don’t wear it nearly often enough. It’s one of those that just flatters and fits. I instantly felt so much better when I popped this outfit on, hence the outfit photos which I am slowly trying to get some confidence back in doing.

As much as I love sandals and dainty shoes I couldn’t break away from the call of my holographic Converse to pair with this outfit. I know casual trainers and girly dresses has been done to death but I love it and probably always will!

I’m going to be staying with my parents for a couple of weeks now and I have been selective in my packing (leaving the jeans behind!) so with Mum on hand I’m hoping to get back in to blogging properly…I’m not expecting miracles though, that denim pinafore of mine is verrrry forgiving!

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