July Favourites

July has been one busy month! The weather has been gorgeous and I've definitely been making the most of my days. Here is a quick post of my favourite things this month, from absolute lifesaver products sent down from heaven, to those which have just made me an extremely happy girl.

First up is the CND Solar Nail and Cuticle Oil. I suffer with terrible cuticles, they grow so quickly and tend to split so badly they bleed, which in turn stunts my nail growth and makes them very brittle. Rubbing a tiny amount of this oil into my cuticles and nails each day has really made my skin a lot better and my nails a lot stronger.

I am a huge fan of Simple skincare. This Simple Kind to Skin Smoothing Facial Scrub accidentally fell into my basket in Superdrug a few weeks ago and I'm so happy I purchased this. It claims to be a perfect blend of multi-vitamins and a skin-loving exfoliator to remove dead skin cells and keep your skin brighter and more even textured. I can confirm it definitely does what it says on the tin. I use this product once a week on top of the Liz Earle 3 step skincare range, and I've noticed my skin looks a lot brighter and healthier.

This product has been in my make up bag for about a year now, and I will not even consider switching foundations. The Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow! Brightening Foundation is oil-free and SPF 25, and gives me a fresh, dewy glow, which is the look I love. It definitely makes my skin luminous and healthy looking, and I think it is definitely worth the price of £26.50. I am thinking of trying the Benefit Big Easy in addition to this product, for days when I can't be bothered to paint on a full face, and hope it lives up to my expectations since trying this foundation.

This Maybelline Big Eye Liner has already been reviewed on this blog here and it is definitely one of my favourite products this month. My eyes look a lot bigger and I look more wide awake, which is perfect because I'm not sleeping very much at the moment and am having a lot of early starts! Sometimes I don't even use the black end, the nude coloured end just does wonders for something so simple.

My lack of sleep also means this Simple Kind to Eyes Revitalising Eye Roll-On has been a lifesaver. This eye gel is so refreshing and reduces my puffy tired eyes. The roller ball means it is really cool on your skin.

I discovered the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water online, after reading hundreds of blogs raving about it. I use quite a lot of eye make up so I am glad I've finally found a remover that doesn't make my eyes red and sore. Because this is water, it is so delicate which makes it perfect for sensitive skin like mine. While it is delicate, it still gets the job done, and I've had no panda eyes since using this product. Some people take their full face of make up off with this, and say it's amazing. I stick to my make up wipes still for my face. I've never used make up wipes on my eyes though because it tends to damage my eyelashes and pull them out. It was £5 for this huge bottle, which they claim lasts for 200 uses. I've been using this for about a month now and I'm only a third of the way through which I think is amazing! 

So while this isn't a beauty product like the rest, I had to mention them. These are some New Look Sandals which I picked up in the sale for £15. I mentioned them in a previous blog post, and now I've had the chance to wear them, I'm even more in love. I've barely taken them off. They are so comfortable yet the jewels mean you can wear them to formal occasions as well. I was a bit worried the jewels would fall out, but I've even crawled in these (don't ask!) and they are still intact. I think they have since sold out, so sorry to wave them under your nose!

Have you tried anything I've mentioned? What do you think of my purchases?

I'm still so completely amazed with how many blog views I've been receiving, it really means a lot to me that people take their time to read my thoughts.

♥

LONDON: Ripley's, Planet Hollywood & Hamley's

Yesterday I took my nephew to London for a day out for his 13th birthday. The weather was absolutely beautiful and we really enjoyed our day.

Our first stop was Ripley's Museum. Me and my Mum have been to the one in New York before and thought it was amazing. I could definitely tell it would be something my nephew would enjoy, and he was completely in his element! 

It is a museum full of weird and wonderful artefacts, which all began when someone called Ripley started collecting all these quirky objects so many years ago. There is a wide variety of things in there, from statues representing the world's tallent man and world's fattest woman, unique artwork made from ants and artwork on rice that you need a magnifying glass to see! There is just so much to take in, you literally find yourself in there for hours walking round in circles! It is over 5 floors so you can really spend a good morning or afternoon in there.

Here are a few photos of my favourite objects in the museum:

A Mini Cooper covered in genuine Swarovski crystals with a New York/America theme

A knitted ferrari made completely from wool

A portrait of President John F Kennedy made from butterflies

A portrait of Princess Catherine made from lipstick kisses

John Lennon from the Beatles painted on a Volkswagen Beetle bonnet

Olympic torches from the last 20 or so Olympic Games

Because we purchased Ripley's tickets, we got to have a go in the Laser Race for free. Basically it is a pitch black room which you have to move across while lasers scan all over, avoiding the lasers, to unlock the door on the other side. It was a lot of fun, and I felt like a genuine jewel thief (I think I took it a little too seriously!) All the staff were laughing at me because I kept setting the lasers off with my bum! I was pretty rubbish.


By the time we were done, I was absolutely starving, which meant it was the perfect time for my nephew's second birthday surprise - a meal in Planet Hollywood. Again, we had eaten in Planet Hollywood in New York before and the food is just absolutely AMAZING. I recommend if you want to go to Ripley's, purchase the tickets for Ripleys & Planet Hollywood all in one on Ripley's website. I think it's called the 'Feast on Fun' package. The food is fairly expensive from the main menu, and if you purchase both tickets together in this way it works out that on top of the Ripley's standard admission the food is only £9 each for a two course meal and drink!

Planet Hollywood restaurants are full of genuine memorabilia from films, and autographs and hand prints of famous actors and actresses. I have to say Planet Hollywood in New York was a little more exciting and had a lot more things, but it was still an amazing experience eating here.

I ordered a cheeseburger with fries, which was absolutely perfect. It was crammed full of fresh, high quality salad, and pickles which I love! The cheesecake for dessert brought back so many wonderful memories of New York - it was a PROPER New York Cheesecake; really creamy and delicious.

After eating, we wandered round the restaurant so we could have a proper look at everything. Here is the helmet Tom Hanks wore as Forrest Gump in the war in Vietnam, when he was shot in the but-tox!

These are Macaulay Culkin's handprints - I have to say I fangirled a little bit here. I'm a huge Home Alone fan and enjoyed reading Macaulay Culkin's autobiography. I know he has his problems but his acting as a child just melts my heart!

After eating, we wandered down Regent Street for a spot of shopping before coming home. I only purchased one thing so I'm really proud of myself! It was only a lip scrub from Lush, no clothes or anything! My nephew really wanted to go in Hamley's, and my god I never realised how big it was! I think it's a little overrated myself - I would much rather buy toys for children on the internet at a lower price than in a jam packed multi-storey crazy atmosphered toy shop, but maybe that's my claustrophobic tendencies talking! It was quite fun, with the staff demonstrating lots of the toys and children taking their turns with them looking so excited! My nephew did enjoy himself in there and that is the main thing! So if you have children with you, I'd definitely recommend taking any children in there, they will love it!

Here is Queen Elizabeth made of lego!

Overall we really had the most perfect day out - I was definitely ready for my bed when I got home! I bought my nephew several spy toys from the Ripley's gift shop, which I'm sure I'll live to regret when he's watching me with his Spy Glasses where he can see behind him without turning around, and recording my conversations on his new Spy Pen!

Where are your favourite places in London?

♥

NOTD: White Gel Nails

This morning I had by nails done and I am so pleased with them! I had finally grown my nails nice and long, but I've started biting again unfortunately. My cuticles were in desperate need of some TLC and my hands just looked a mess really. Peeling skin, bleeding and wonky nails, great!

I'm not a fan of acrylic nails myself. I think they look absolutely lovely on other people, but I think they do too much damage to your natural nails and are awfully expensive. In comparison, gel is beautifully shiny and my nails grow dramatically when I have it on. 

My friend Lucy owns her own mobile business, and I wouldn't let anyone else do my nails because she is just so amazing. She spent an hour in total giving them a thorough manicure, and painting them. She has a wide range of colours, but I have a white obsession at the moment so it wasn't a difficult choice!

This will last about 2 weeks, and at £15 she is the cheapest gel nail artist I know! And because she comes to your house, I find it so much more relaxing, which is surely the whole point of pampering! I thoroughly recommend her to anyone who lives locally to myself.

Lucy also does massages, waxes, tints, and so on! If anyone would like her contact details, message me.

♥

My Week in 6 Photos

This week has been so hectic! I didn't manage to have time to post this yesterday as I would usually do every Sunday. On top of work experience, I have done A LOT of socialising and exercising! I've also been planning a trip to London for my nephew's 13th birthday present from me and my Mum. Here are some of the highlights of my week:

1. Going out - I haven't been out in a long time, especially at home. What with being away at university, and having exams during final term, it means I didn't come home very much. I've really enjoyed catching up with people from home, and I've loved letting my hair down for a change! I'm still not in good enough shape yet for me to feel confident about how I look in dresses and going out clothes, but I'm hoping within a few more weeks I'll be a little more confident!

2. Baking - It's official, I make the best strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake in the world! Unfortunately it hadn't set enough to take it to the party, but on the bright side, it meant more for me! I find baking quite relaxing, although I'm hoping I don't completely pig out on it because I've been working so hard with exercise so far. 

3. Birthdays - Yesterday I attended my niece's 2nd birthday party. Here is her homemade Sarah and Duck birthday cake (it's her favourite programme on Cbeebies). I loved giving her her presents, she was so excited and cute with each little gift, and I enjoyed playing with her new gigantic dolls house with her. We had a barbecue which is one of my favourite types of food, and I drank far too much Pimms as per!

4. Ok, so this hasn't been one of the highlights of my week. But I wanted to put it on here because it is literally taking over my life. I've never had hayfever before this year, but in the last few weeks I've been terrible with it! My eyes and nose are so sore and I'm struggling to sleep. If anyone can recommend any remedies I would be extremely grateful! Because tablets don't seem to be working, and neither is tea. And you know something is wrong when tea doesn't make you feel better!

5. I'm pleased to say that I've completed week 3 of the 9 week Couch to 5K running app. I'm really proud of myself - three weeks ago I couldn't even run for 20 seconds without feeling out of breath. This week I've been expected to run for 3 minutes at a time. It doesn't sound like a lot, but I find running extremely challenging. I was out running for 30 minutes in total. This app is absolutely brilliant - it's not good for your fitness or endurance if you try and just run as far and fast as you can. When you're first learning to run it is important you speedwalk in intervals to make sure you set a pace and gradually build up your stamina rather than injure yourself. I can't believe I'm a third of a way to running 5k! 

6. And FINALLY, when I was out on Friday night I met Mark Wright! He was promoting at our local nightclub and another one not very far away, so he only stayed for about two hours, but I'm so glad I managed to get a cheeky photo with him. He is even better looking in real life than I ever expected. TOWIE is my guilty pleasure and I really miss a lot of the old cast, including Mark. It was great meeting him, it really made my night!

If anyone has any ideas of other posts they would like to see, I would be so grateful for your suggestions. I hope you're enjoying reading the blog as much as I'm enjoying writing it!

♥

Strawberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

This morning I have been a busy bee! Despite feeling absolutely terrible with hayfever, I have baked a Strawberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake. Today is my niece's second birthday, and I was asked to make a dessert for her party.

Note: I didn't create this recipe myself, I saw it TV last year. But I wanted to share it with you because this is one of my favourite recipes, not only is it one of the most delicious cheesecakes I have ever tasted, but it looks so pretty!

What you will need (serves 8-10):

230g digestive biscuits

80g unsalted butter melted

200g white chocolate

400g mascarpone cheese

100ml sour cream

300ml double cream

80g caster sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

400g strawberries

23cm loose-bottomed spring form cake tin

1. Using a food processor, blitz down the biscuits to fine crumb. Alternatively, put the biscuits in a large food bag and beat them with a rolling pin. Add to a bowl and mix in the melted butter. Place the mixture into the loose bottomed cake tin, compress down and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes

2. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave or in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water then set aside to leave to cool slightly. I prefer over simmering water myself, as I think chocolate is so easy to burn in the microwave!

3. Cream the mascarpone, chocolate, sour cream and sugar together along with the vanilla extract

4. Whip the double cream and then fold the two together.

5. Hull and halve the strawberries then place round the outside of the tin in an ordered fashion. Place a few more in the bottom of the tin. 

6. Cover with the cheesecake mixture, smooth the top and chill for at least 1 hour to set. Remove from the tin, and decorate with the remaining strawberries.

And you have yourself one yummy strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake! 

If any of you give this a go, I would love it if you could send me photos, or drop me a message! Please let me know what you think in the comments below, as I love receiving comments regarding my blog.

Enjoy your Sunday!

♥

Birthday Celebrations in Woodhall Spa

I have been looking forward to this weekend for absolutely ages! Usually I'm a bit worried that I have become so excited and built it all up so much that it is a disappointment when it actually arrives. But so far, this weekend has been absolutely spot on.

My sister-in-law turns 30 tomorrow, and so she decided to book a holiday camping for her, my brother and their four children, not far away from home in Woodhall Spa. It's a gorgeous quaint town with woodland walks, swimming facilities, old fashioned pubs, vintage style shops, and amazing bakeries.

We drove down this morning to spend some time with them. I won't lie, I only got two hours sleep last night, so the fact I was awake and ready by 8 is a miracle in my opinion! When we arrived, we decided to play some games outside in the sun. We did everything from colouring Mr Men characters in, to playing tennis, to wearing these velcro hats and throwing balls at each others heads! Considering my lack of sleep, I'm surprised I was able to function at all, but we had so much fun I couldn't sit it out. As you can see, the velcro hat didn't fit over my gigantic head, but I improvised best I could!

We then went to grab a spot of lunch from our favourite bakery. I never remember what it is called unfortunately, but it is absolutely amazing! They make their own chocolates as well as bread, sandwiches and cakes. I think this display of miniature cupcakes and doughnuts is absolutely adorable! The photo doesn't do justice how small these actually were! I would say they were about an inch in height.

We each ordered a small bap and a cake each, but the sandwiches are absolutely huge! We took them back to their tent so we could relax in the sun, or because I'm a milk bottle, in the shade for me! 

While we were walking back to the tent, I noticed a little milkshake bar called Smoovies and simply couldn't walk past. They are similar to the high street brand 'Shake a Break', making ice cream milkshakes with popular sweets and chocolate bars. I ordered my 'Shake a Break' favourite, Refreshers sweets milkshake. It was so yummy, and really refreshing given how hot it was today. I promise I wasn't as grumpy as I looked, the sun was just directly in our face when this was taken!

Completely refreshed, we made our way back to the tent to enjoy our lunch, and a surprise birthday cake. I've had a really enjoyable day so far. I'm working this afternoon for a few hours, and I'm ending my day by going out into town tonight. I also went out last night, but unfortunately don't have any of the photos at the moment. Mark Wright, formerly of The Only Way is Essex, was in our local club The Assembly Rooms. It was a really good night and I can't believe how good looking he is! I can't wait to see the photos and will share them on here with you as soon as I can.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend as much as I'm enjoying mine! 

PS) As of Tuesday, my car will be here and I will be officially on the roads woo hoo!!

♥

15 Pick Me Ups

Lately, I have been extremely happy, don't get me wrong. But everyone has their down days. I'm terrible for overthinking and worrying, and that is usually when I start to feel my mood worsen. Yesterday I felt quite rubbish. Without going into details, someone really upset me in the way they spoke to me after I did a huge favour for them, and I also had a lot of university stress whirling around my mind.

But don't worry, this isn't going to be a depressing post. I just wanted to make a quick list of my favourite pick me ups for when I'm feeling low. Even if you are the happiest person in the world, you still have your low moments. If you're not feeling low, try any of these and I can guarantee you'll feel even happier!

1. TALK. Talking about it helps. Don't try and bottle it up. However, don't keep going round in circles. Sometimes you can find yourself going over and over it again and again with various people. Sometimes I think it's best to meet up with a friend for a coffee, or sit down with your mum, talk it out, get an opinion, and LET IT GO.

2. Warm milky drink - If you are particularly bad for over thinking/ stressing late at night, you're not going to sleep. A lack of sleep will only make it worse! I love Hot Chocolates and Ovaltines to help me destress.

3. Get outside - Fresh air is one of the best medicines for stress or feeling sad. It increases oxygen to your organs and body, and relieves a lot of tension. It's something to do as well!

4. Exercise - It releases endorphins, simple as. Try anything once and if you like it, try and stick at it. If you hate running and moving about, try yoga or pilates. They are great for reaxing!

5. Shopping - If your finances is something you're worrying about, this definitely isn't the one for you! But sometimes a little treat will perk me up.

6. Eat - A lack of food will only make you feel worse, even if you don't think you're hungry. When I'm really stressed, I try drinking lots of water and eating toast regularly, because I really don't like the thought of food when I'm really stressed. But sometimes when I'm sad, a bar of chocolate or a nice cake will make me feel better!

7. Say "no" - if you're feeling stressed, don't feel bad about saying "no" to doing favours for others. I feel bad saying "no", but I'm gradually learning to do it. If you've got a lot on your plate, don't take more on than you can handle.

8. Make plans - I overthink when I'm doing nothing, simple. If you keep yourself busy, you won't do it. Even if you can't make plans for today, I love having something to look forward to.

9. Do a good deed - Sometimes when you're feeling sad, it can make you feel better to do something for someone else, to make THEM happy. If you are stressed, refer back to number 7, and don't do this!

10. Music - Listen to your favourite song, unless it's sad. A lot of my favourite songs are sad, but I downloaded a running playlist which is quite upbeat so I stick that on. It lifts my mood instantly

11. Candles - Maybe it's just me, but I love a good candle. I love the smell, the heat they give off, and even just looking at them. I recommend Yankee candles- expensive but smell amazing.

12. Films - Stick one of your favourite films on, as long as it's not sad. A comedy is obviously good at cheering you up, but anything like Grease is perfect at making me feel better. I wish I was a Pink Lady!

13. Hot Bath - Combine this with the candles and I'm in heaven. I'm one of those people who are ALWAYS cold, so heat instantly makes me happy. Get a nice bubble bath, fill that badboy up and just lay there. Grab a few magazines or a good book and you're good to go. I have a jacuzzi bath so I like to put that on and I feel the tension release from my muscles almost instantaneously. 

14. What are you grateful for? - I was given this tip a while ago, and while I was sceptical at first, it does actually work! Whenever you're down, list three things which you are grateful for, in your head. Sometimes it can put your life in perspective - often I find myself disgusted for being such an idiot over mediocre first world problems!

15. Bye bye social media - Sometimes when I'm stressed, I love nothing more than signing out of Facebook and Twitter. I love social media for staying in touch with family and friends. But it is so true what psychologists say - SO much drama is caused by social media! Sometimes it's good to take a break and focus on getting off your phone/laptop and getting some fresh air.

I hope these tips help you as much as they help me! 

♥

New Phone Case Review

So my new phone case has arrived this morning, and I couldn't be more pleased with it! I wanted to do a quick review because not only am I happy with the case, but I received fantastic customer service in the process.

Whenever I order anything personalised, I worry it will take ages to arrive. I sent my first message enquiring about the cases only 8 days ago, and received the case this morning, so I was really happy with the speed of the delivery.

I purchased the case, and then emailed the seller with the list of my 'Shannon likes'. If you order one, and want your name on like I have, remember to include this at the top of the list. I know some people just have a list of things they like, and that still looks good. There was one or two things that I asked for that didn't make it on the case, but it didn't bother me. When I sent my list off, the seller contacted me to say it wouldn't all fit, and asked which things I wouldn't mind losing. I thought that was really nice, rather than just taking any off, for it to arrive missing some of it without my knowledge, or for it to arrive with EVERYTHING on all squashed in.

When I purchased the case, I asked if it would be possible to have it printed on a rubber case. For some reason, I never seem to get on with hard cases. I seem to crack them straight away, even though I never drop my phone. I also have several marks on my phone where I've struggled to get plastic cases on and off. The seller was more than happy to order me in a rubber case specially.

I paid £11.85 for this case, including postage and packaging. Considering these retail at £25.00 on notonthehighstreet.com, I didn't mind paying this at all. I purchased this case from 'ThatGiftSite' on www.etsy.com.

Please let me know what you think of my new phone case in the comments below. Where do you buy your phone cases from? 

♥

Graze Box Review

Whenever I order from New Look, I always think about using the free Graze box voucher. I usually end up forgetting about it, but this time I decided to give it a go. With me trying to lose weight this summer and exercise going really well, I thought they would make perfect little snacks for when I've been for a run or swim or I've just finished yoga.

Graze.com is a website which allows you to purchase a healthy snack subscription. There is a wide variety of flavours and you receive more. You can opt to receive them fortnightly or more regularly if you wish.

I really enjoyed the process of ordering. After entering your free code, or when you first sign up, they ask you to 'love', 'like', 'try' or 'bin' foods, so they can get an idea of what to send you. There is also a 'send soon' option so you can try to ensure you receive them. I generally don't like nuts, and I'm quite fussy, so I ended up binning a lot of the products; I even had a warning pop up saying that if I bin any more they probably couldn't tailor a box for me! There is a huge variety though, from beef jerky to fruity or chocolatey snacks. There are over 100 to choose from.

But three days later, my box arrived! I received:

Summer Berry Flapjack - A rustic rolled oat flapjack with berry-infused cranberries. This was one of my 'love' and 'send soon' options and I'm so glad I received it. I absolutely LOVE flapjack, and am on a real red berry hype at the moment. (If anyone else loves red berries, I recommend Special K Red Berry Cereal AND Cereal bars) 

Popping Corn - I was desperate to try one of the popping corns after hearing so much about them. I opted for Slightly Sweet and can't wait to try it.

Boston Baguettes with a BBQ Relish - This was one of my 'try' options if I remember correctly. I'm not usually a fan of BBQ flavours, but I really wanted to try the mini breadsticks. Also, because most of the things I was 'loving' and 'liking' had chocolate in and were the more calorific of the graze options, I thought I better try a few low calorie ones!

Cookies and Cream - Mini cookies, white chocolate, hazelnuts and sunflower seeds. I'm not sure how I feel about the hazelnuts, but I couldn't resist the idea of 'cookies and cream' after a long run!

I absolutely love the packaging. It's quite eco-friendly and has a rustic feel, and I love how the snacks inside are individually wrapped in small plastic boxes. I'm quite OCD about food, and HATE eating anything that is not sealed properly. If a packet of biscuits has been opened, if I find it hasn't been sealed up again properly, I have to throw them away. So handy sized portions individually wrapped is great for me.

When you sign up for your free box, you have to register your payment details, but as soon as I was notified my free box was dispatched, I just went back on the website and cancelled my subscription. The boxes are only £3.99 each, so when I'm back at university I may sign up again to receive them fortnightly, as soon as my loans come through! They won't charge you for anything unless you forget to cancel your subscription after the first box!

They also have other boxes available, such as breakfast boxes with granola and porridge if that's something you would be interested in.

Can anyone recommend any other healthy snacks for post-exercise indulgence?

♥

My Week in 7 Photos

I've really enjoyed my week and just thought I would quickly share my highlights with you.

1. Work experience - I took a quick snap of my desk in the Charity office at my local hospice, where I am working at the moment. I'm really enjoying it and I hope any effort I put in over the summer raises some well deserved money. At the moment I'm currently working on securing corporate sponsorship for the Hospice from local businesses. In such a difficult time economically, it is a difficult job, but I'm ready and willing to take on the challenge! I'm also going to help organise a few large scale events, including a Moulin Rouge themed event, so watch this space!

2. Bowling - I did a separate blog post on my evening at the bowling alley, but I thought I would mention it again as it was one of my favourite things this week! I'm hoping to go back a few more times while I'm home. If you want to see the bowling post and review of the new food diner, click this link here

3. Pizza - Dominos is one of my favourite things to eat ever, so when my Mum suggested it I couldn't resist! I'm doing well for exercise but really struggling to choose the healthier options when it comes to food! Don't get me wrong, I don't eat like this all the time, despite what it might look like on my blog! I just post the naughty foods because they are treats. It was the perfect way to end a perfect week. I've eaten out several times this week, but had salads every day for lunch, so I don't feel too guilty!

4. Running - Running is still going really well. I'm running three times a week, as recommended by the app, with a day's rest in between. I'm feeling a lot better in myself and I'm becoming more confident at running in public. I've completed the 2nd of the 9 week running course on my NHS Choices Couch to 5k app, and even though I've got a long way to go, I feel quite proud of my progress so far, as someone who has never ran at all!

5. Shopping - I have definitely shopped until I have dropped this week! I'm hoping to be better behaved with my card in the next few weeks, as I don't want to get into the habit of this! I'm generally quite good at saving, but I want to save a bit more over summer and next year for 'rainy day savings', in case I don't find graduate employment straight away, or even if I do, so that I always have that little amount in case anything goes wrong! I'm really pleased with my purchases this week, from my Liz Earle collection as pictured above, which you can read about here, and my shopping haul, which you can read more about here and here

6. Bloglovin -  I've only been blogging for about a month, and I've had around 1200 views and 22 followers. It may not sound like a lot, but I'm really really grateful and pleased with how well my blog is doing in terms of viewers and support. I started it as a hobby and for my friends and family, and it's great to know people are actually reading it, so thank you!

7. Sundays - My day today was ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. I haven't had a lazy day in absolutely ages, and it was nice just putting my feet up and watching tv for hours on end with a good cup of tea! I feel so refreshed. I did also go for a fun, and I'm about to go out now to play with my nieces and nephews, but I'm so glad I had a day off doing nothing! 

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed your week as much as I enjoyed mine! 

♥

Rock N' Bowl

I just got back from my nephew's 13th birthday party. I honestly can't believe he is 13, it brings a bit of a tear to my eye. I was only 7 years old when he was born, and I really feel like we grew up together. He was like a younger sibling to me. I find it so amazing watching this little tot grow into an amazing person, forming his interests and talents. I can't wait to see him achieve his dreams and I'll be there every step of the way with him, cheering him on.

Anyway, there's my soppy cringey bit over with. He wanted to go bowling at Boston Bowl and then eat in the newly refurbished diner afterwards. I absolutely LOVE bowling. It's something I wish I did more often. It's one of those things where EVERYONE seems to have fun, no matter how good or bad at it you are! It was only £25 for the hour for a lane, and you can have up to around 6 people on a lane, so I thought that was really cheap! I won on my lane, although I was against my nephews and nieces, ranging in age from 4-8! Here are some action shots from the bowling area. I absolutely LOVE this New York wallpaper.

When I got there, I couldn't believe how gorgeous the diner was. I love that vintage sort of feel when it comes to restaurants, it was just absolutely spot on. The Beatles and Elvis were playing, and the food was really good.

I opted for the 'Big Bad Bacon Cheeseburger', being one of my favourite things to order when I eat out. I paid extra for 'the full works' - which meant you got chips and onion rings. The food was that little bit pricey in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, the meat is locally sourced and the Coke is glass bottled, but my Mum's flavoured water was £3.30 which in my opinion, is ridiculous, and I don't think you got enough onion rings and chips for the price. Maybe that's just me being a greedy guts as per! You can't really see the burger from the photo but it was absolutely perfect; often I find restaurants go for great meat but rubbish salad. The salad was really tasty and fresh and it included gherkins which I love. My brother also ordered the salad and they look amazing from there (and I don't often say that about a salad!)

I had such an amazing evening, and I definitely recommend anyone who lives locally to myself going now that it has all been done up. You can pay per person per game; I think you get 3 games for £12.50, but I would just recommend paying for the lane for an hour. 

If you don't live locally, I still say grab a few friends and go bowling! 

Can anyone recommend any other fun things to do over summer?

♥