Disclaimer: this post contains an Aff link that isn't mine - this means that any orders made via the link will reward the owner of the link, my cousin and homeslice with a little bit of commission okay? Okay. 

Let's start this off with my admittance that I'm not a fan of MLM schemes, if you're a mum on instagram and your inbox hasn't been filled up with message like "hey mama, want to know I became a millionaire in week via selling sh*t on facebook" then you'll know why I avoid them. However, when my cousin set up her Bubble and Blow page I was intrigued. After raving about the products Jess decided to become and affiliate and when Jess does something, she goes all in and her page soon became a hub of activity with giveaways almost daily and various games and competitions throughout the week. The page has become a little community and the products aren't even the primary focus and I think that's why Jess smashes her sales and manages to make a little income from a hobby and tbh, hats off to her. 

Where I've been able to afford to, I've been a supportive cousin and bought some bits but most of the things I've had have been from competition wins; The bubble dusts are an absolute favourite of mine, they're colourful, smell great and leave my skin oily but, they're addictive - I had to hold off buying more before I needed a colourful bath every time. My all time favourite product is the soap sponge which pretty much explains itself - it's a massive sponge that is also a bar of soap and it is perfect for scrubbing away fake tan and making sure it fades evenly, if you're wanting to try anything from the range then I really recommend this. The bath bombs are equally brilliant, Bruce the shark was a firm favourite in our house and I've also used a tub turd and have an ugly baby thing that I can't part with. 

More recently, Jess has set up a brilliant initiative in the group following from the recent waves of encouragement to be kind currently going across social media, group members are posting an item that they would like from the range and people are anonymously buying each other gifts. I thought this was a brilliant idea but didn't imagine it to take off the way that it did, before long almost everyone had been gifted the item that they wanted (including me so thank you to whoever it was) and the page soon became a hub of people who were excited to give, rather than to receive and was truly heartwarming to see and be a part of. 

Then, Jess announced that any commission from the sales of the gifts would be donated to a charity very close to her hearts: Autism Inclusive; not only are people being kind AF and buying anonymous gifts for each other but they're also raising money for charity and it's been really heart warming to be  a part of. it just goes to show affiliate schemes can be positive when run by the right people so, if you're looking to try some new bath products, join a little community and raise some money charity head over to the Facebook group, or Jess' Bubble and Blow page.

If you're not in any kind of debt then you're into some kind of witchcraft and need to teach me your spells because I am drowning. Talking about money is typically uncouth for us Brits, it's rude to ask people how much they earn, save and owe etc. and, in general people don't really want to talk about debt because there's a sense of shame about being unable to afford to live but statistically, 34% of UK children are living in poverty. The World Bank and the UN define poverty as "being unable to afford to basic needs of life including food, shelter and clothes etc." but poverty can have several different meanings basing in various factors such as people's standards of living being somewhat subjective as well as income vs material essentials. This makes drawing the poverty line difficult and fitting poor b*stards like me into the right category a tough job.

Cooking for a family of one and half is hard work; It’s hard to make the right sized portions for one adult and a small person who doesn’t really want to eat anything other than mini rolls and cooking and preparing a hearty and decent meal after a hard day’s work to probably end up eating my serving cold and cleaning Fred’s off the floor can often seem like too much effort. However, having a new storm every week and not being able leave the house without the fear of ending up on Oz means that I have the time and patience to prepare some comforting yet healthy meals for me and Fred, all with a little thanks from Schwartz and their recipe mixes. 

My absolute favourite home-cooked meal is a sausage casserole, my Grandma used to make it when I was younger and the smell would fill the house. I always remember feeling warm and full after eating it and it’s the go-to meal to make when Fred and I need a bit of comfort or a decent meal. Thanks to the recipe mixes, pre-packed chopped veg and instant mash, whipping up a good dinner after a full day of work takes no more than an hour and gives me time to sit at the table with Fred before his bed time rather than eat alone once he’s gone to bed. 

Other recipe mixes in the Schwartz collection include, Peppered Beef Casserole, Shepherd’s Pie and Moroccan Lamb Casserole to name a few. Managing portions effectively is something that I’ve been working on over recent months; as I mentioned earlier, making meals for just two of us is hard work and can lead to a lot of food going to waste as well as wasting money. I’ve started batch cooking meals at the weekend and then freezing them to heat up throughout the week.

Not only has this saved time in the evenings, resulting in meals just needing a shove in the oven for an hour but it’s also saved a fortune on the monthly food shop – My mum (who also lives alone) and equally struggles to buy food for one person (and cannot cook to save her life) has been chipping in on our food shop ensuring that none of the meals that I cook are going to waste and that we’re all eating a healthy, hearty and enjoyable diet. 

Financially we’ve been able to both save money as all our meals are planned and prepared meaning that random trips to Tesco for microwave meals and ending up spending more money per day than we would per month on food and groceries no longer happens. We’ve set a budget that we’ve agreed to spend each month and plan meals around it. The best thing about the Shwartz is the variety of mixes that ensure that sticking to planned meals is never boring – not only is there a plethora of mixes available but the their site also includes a range of different recipe ideas that can be used with the mixes making mealtimes exciting and convenient.

This year will be my first Valentine’s Day as a single person in almost five years; you’d think that I’d be filled with some sadness about it but I feel the complete opposite. During the past five years I didn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, getting my birthday remembered was enough of a chore so extra dates in between that and Christmas were  a waste of time. This year is very different, I want to celebrate everything and enjoy Valentine’s day as a single woman who’s happy without cupid and his little bow. With that in mind, Angeleye very kindly gifted me the perfect Girl’s night outfit from their Valentine’s Day Outfits collection.

I decided that this year I was going to try new things in the land of beauty and I've delved, eyelid first, into the land of lashes and it has been a wild ride. I'm only on week one of having massive clumps of hair stuck to my eyelids and and I've gained the nickname 'Beep, Beep' at work, been advised to wash them thoroughly for fear of lice and can't stop stroking them.

1 week after application

I won't lie, until I did some research and by research, I mean a very quick google and taking the first result as fact, I thought that russian lashes were the long lashes that impoverished Russian women had sold to make a living and I did have a short moral dilema. As it happens, they're synthetic lashes just extra fine and applied loads and loads and loads and loads of times to create a really full and fanned out look. Stacey from Fresh by Fletch applied my lashes; after seeing lots of the women I  know walking around with fluttering these full and fabulous lashes I decided (very much on a whim) that I wanted in on the action and Stacey popped around with a bag fully of tiny hairs and popped them on my face. I can't tell you how the process was undertaken because I was lying there having a relaxing time with my eyes shut whilst we bitched about crap dads. Stacey took 45 minutes to make me look like a Disney princess and was really professional and friendly. I didn't even cry that much afterwards - the residue glue once you open your eyes at the end isn't the best experience to have but it is bearable. If anyone in Crewe is looking for a fabulous, flexible and friendly lash tech, Stacey is your woman.

Just after application, complete with eye-goo - photo nicked from Stacey's FB without permission

Let's talk about my personal experience with having massive Russian lashes; during the first few hours I could feel them, my vision was framed by two fluffy ovals and they tickled my eyelid but weren't uncomfortable - I just needed to adjust to them. You can't get your lashes wet for the first 24 hours and I had been very wise and avoided makeup on the day they were applied (clever Issy). The following morning I woke up to Fred shouting "YAK YAAAAK" and as I went to rub my eyes I jumped back in horror, thinking that a tarantula had decided to nest in my eye...no, it was just my massive Russian lashes. Fearing that I'd ruined me new lewk, I neglected my yak-shouting child and bolted it to the bathroom to have a look at my eyes, the lashes were still there, fuller than ever and I went on with my day. The benefit of having massive Russian lashes is that I don't really need to wear eye make-up; 1. I you wouldn't really be able to see it because of my massive Russian lashes 2. i'm not sure how to get behind my massive Russian lashes to blend anything in and 3. it's saved me loads of time in the morning, I've just shoved some CC cream on, given my lashes and hair a quick brush and popped off to work.

being a gobby little cow with a sharp tongue and few boundaries means that, when the time is right, my colleagues can come back at me, and come back at me they did. Comments such as "are they weighing you down?" and receiving emails with photos of cars with lashes not to mention the several offers to trim them ensued. Jokes aside, there have been some struggles with the lashes, I need to wear glasses so that I can be really detailed in cocking up my job and the massive Russian lashes kept acting as windscreen wipers on the inside of my specs or, getting stuck and making me look like I could've been having a stroke all over again. To conclude, there is a slight possibility that massive Russian lashes aren't appropriate for work for practicality and abuse reasons. 

Homelife with the lashes has been much easier, I'm at a point now where I've  forgotten that they're there and only remember when I catch a glimpse of my reflection and recoil in shock. There have been four casualties that I've noticed so far, RIP little eye mates but despite my constantly rubbing, tugging and forgetting about them they've stuck around. Losing a few has softened the look a bit and I think I prefer them looking less full.

but I am definitely into this whole lash extension thing, I've not had to pick mascara off my lashes (we all do it, don't lie) for a week, I've barely worn make-up and even though massive Russian lashes aren't very me, I really do like the look of having fuller and longer lashes and can confirm that Lash Extensions are Issy approved ✓ you're welcome.