Gift ideas for Cat People

I think that we all know that I am definitely a crazy cat person, this means that I am often browsing the internet for cat related items that I need as well as making friends with fellow cat lovers. With this in mind, I've created a gift idea post for that cat person in your life (we all have one) covering all budgets. 

Gift ideas for him with Groupon

I don't know about you but I find buying for men dead hard, mainly Luke. He always spoils me at Christmas with the best gifts and I always start panicking around August and trying to think of ways of treating him as much - This year I've turned to Groupon for gifts for a few members of my family as well as used it as a great tool for sussing out a gift for him. With this in mind, I've had a nosey through their site and found some great gift ideas for those of you still shopping for a man in your life.

Christmas Wishlist

Christmas is a time for giving, and browsing for gifts for yourself. Admit it, we all do a lil window shopping (maybe sometimes proper shopping) for ourselves during the festive season and why not! It's hard work buying gifts for others and wrapping gifts with cats around. Whilst shopping around for loved ones I totally accidentally created my own little wish list that might also provide inspiration for your if you're buying for a cat obsessed slob this year. 

Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Palette | Review with Swatches

I hadn't fallen for the Huda Beauty hype until my friend leant me her Desert Dusk palette to play with and now I can't get enough. If there's ever a palette you need to add to your wish-list it's this one and although it's on the pricier range of the palette spectrum it's safe to say it's well worth it! 

Gift ideas for people you don't like part 2

Okay, so I might've had a little too much fun much creating my last post and continued to search the internet for the most annoying / pointless gifts that I could find; with that in mind, here's round to superbly shite gifts for people you don't like. You'll notice that I haven't included links and prices to some of the items on here because in all honestly if you can't google them yourself, you shouldn't be on the internet.

Blog photography tips & tricks

The general standard of blog photography has dramatically changed over and the days of bedroom mirror selfies and make-up shots without any swatches are a thing of the past. These days, perfect lighting, glamorous props and professional photoshoots are normality along with expert equipment such as ring lights, and high quality cameras like this Panasonic CSC Camera. The past year has seen a huge change in my blog photography and I'm going to show some tricks and tips I've taken on board help me produce better quality content. 

Gift ideas for people you don't like

'tis the season to be jolly fa la la la, la la laaaaaaa and that means that it's also the season of goodwill and the time of the year when we often have to buy gifts for people we don't know / like / have a clue what to get for. But don't worry, I gotchoo covered for all three scenarios with this selection of some of my favourite gift ideas. 

Festive Sleek Make-Up

The festive period is the perfect time of year for bold red lips and all the sparkle, if you're looking to twinkle like a festive fairy on a budget then Sleek Make Up have got you covered. I was kindly sent some of their bits to try and was pleasantly surprised with each product. 

St. Moriz Tan Enhancer and Dry Tanning Oil

St. Moriz have always been a firm favourite in my tanning choices, there was a time when I would slather myself in the stuff and look like the annoying orange in a wig but I thought I looked proper fit. These days, I prefer a more subtle glow to make myself look less walking dead and more walking health. However, because I am a complete tool – I can often struggle to apply fake tan without something disastrous happening. 

Pregnancy Skincare

"Pregnancy does wonders for your skin, hair and nails, just you wait" is something I've heard over and over and eagerly anticipated glowing like a photoshopped Kardashian as my HGC hormones increased but unfortunately, everything went to sh*t! Especially my skin thankfully, after trial and error I've found some perfect products that have helped settle my skin and even if I say so myself, there might just be a bit of glow under there.

4 Make Up Mistakes

I’ve made a lot of makeup mistakes over the years, I was born before Youtube which meant that I had to find it all out for myself and with minimal internet access (shout out to dial up connection) as well as not having any older siblings to direct me I kind of had to wing it and hope for the best. And the best rarely came; there are those classic mistakes we all used to make like applying our dream matte mousse with our fingers and applying a darker foundation just to add a touch of colour and my old school favourite of using concealer as a lip shade.

Makeup Revolution Redemption Palette Mermaids Vs Unicorns

I never buy myself a colourful palettes so when this little rainbow beauty appeared in October's Glossy Box I was dead chuffed to have a go at shoving some colour on my face - with my recently dyed hair I was also excited to see how much the colours would stand out against my darker locks in comparison to my old blonde hair. Now, I've become a bit of a palette snob over the past couple of years, truth be told I rarely wear that much eye shadow (because I don't get up within enough time to put some on) and I certainly don't play around with colour, partly due to thinking I'd look like and idiot and also due the fact that I don't wear it enough to be brave enough to blend some bold shades in me old sockets. Anyway, this lack of effort and experienced has allowed me to justify splashing the cash on my trusty old warm toned brown palettes and leave the colourful colours to the proper mermaid / unicorn princesses out there. 

Budgeting for Christmas with Mad Beauty*

I'm always extra organised when it comes to Christmas but I could always be more organised. With Freddie on the way and the tax man having some big Lols at Luke's expense, I'm determined to not leave us penniless by January. This has involved me getting started a little earlier than usual (I enjoy the buzz of buying presents and genuinely LOVE wrapping so I don't like it to be over too soon) whilst starting to plan things it's got me thinking of some great money saving tips and things that I can implement into next year to ensure Christmas is as stress free as possible from now on (bearing in mind a fat man in a certain suit will soon be crawling down the chimney). 

Letter Writes Letter Board - buy here 

Maternity OOTD and Nude Jewellery

Ok, so nothing in this outfit is actually maternity wear, I’m still just about getting away with wearing sized up leggings and baggy tops but I don’t think this will last very long. I didn’t anticipate how difficult finding comfy and practical clothes would be during pregnancy. Whilst I want to look marginally fashionable, I also want to be in PJs or naked for the rest of my life. To try and make myself feel a little more human I’m concentrating on accessorizing my boring baggy tops and leggings. 

10 reasons why you need a Magnitone Cleansing Brush 💕

It's no secret that I have battling with getting my skin clean since forever. I don't have any specific issues with acne or psoriosis but my skin just never looks clean, it doesn't matter what I use or how often, I'll always have some pesky black heads and blemishes making me look like I need a good wash which makes me self-conscious when going make-up free. 

20 Week Pregnancy Update

Baby Freddie has been living in my womb for a whole 20 weeks and has hit the half way mark *round of applause for Freddie* the scan showed that his organs are functioning properly; he has a proper skeleton and is drinking his pee (nice). Pregnancy is continuing to be the weirdest experience that I’ve ever had and I’m sure it’s only going to intensify as we get close to the actually popping him out. I gave up trying to battle through morning sickness and got myself some medication that became my new favourite thing. So, here are some thoughts and moments from the past eight weeks.

Rose Gold by Monsoon

I bloody love perfume I do and do you know what I love more than dead expensive fancy perfume? Affordable perfume that you can actually use without calculating how money you’re spraying on yourself; dya know know what I love more than affordable perfume? 

Sensational Struggles and Hacks

A couple of months ago I treated myself to an Sensational Express kit in the shade Made Him Blush. I’m always desperate for long lasting manicured nails bit don’t have the time or funds to get my nails done professionally regularly enough so Sensationail seemed like the perfect, at home option. The express kit was £30 in total and came with the LED lamp and a put of the specially formulated paint. Unlike the regular Sensationail sets, the express kit consists of one product and the need for up to two coats before nails are good to go, in addition to this, only a 30 second curing time is needed. 

Little Update 💙👶🏼📹

Well Hello there, been a while hasn't it? 

I've not been the best blogger lately, pregnancy has taken all my motivation and energy to do anything other than sleep and eat but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. Not much has changed around here, Albie and Cecil are the naughtiest cats to ever walk the earth, I still think periods are shit, Trump is a dick and avocados aren't nice. 

Preggo? The low down on my first trimester

If you don't follow me on social media (which you totally should btw) you'll have missed me announce the amazing news that after two years of tests, tears and a little bit of treatment Luke and I finally managed to make a baby.  I thought that I'd embrace pregnancy with open arms and be some mother earth ethereal glowing princess basking in the joys of growing a baby but I've ended up giving the girl from the Exorcist a run for her money and felt rotten for the past 8 weeks, not to mention all the other fascinating yet terrifying changes that my body has gone through; with this in mind, I've compiled a list of the thoughts, changes and experiences I've had the past 12 weeks:

Too Faced Sweet Peach MOTD

The Palettes

I got the Too Faced Sweet Peach collection way back in April but never got round to posting about it because there's only so many variations of the same review that the Blogosphere can take. After having a couple of days off work due this pesky fertility medication making me feel rotten I decided to perk myself up by having a big fat pamper bath followed by a little experiment with some colour. My eye make-up look often consists of similar shades of brown and a generic smoky eye, the whole purpose of getting the sweet peach eye shadow palette was to introduce my make-up routine to some colour. 

We Love Coffee ☕️*

It's no secret that I love coffee, after Albie and Cecil coffee is probably my second love so any opportunity to sample coffee is snapped up. With age, I've become somewhat of a coffee snob - nothing tastes better than freshly ground coffee and instant just doesn't do it for me anymore. When We Love Coffee sent me three bags of their ground coffee I think I died and went to heaven. After spending the entire day sniffing the bags I couldn't wait to get them in a cafetiere. 

GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment

Application & Details

Glamglow kindly send me a sample of this and I was so impressed that I had to buy it. The Supermud Clearing Treatment works best on blemish prone skin to target, prevent and heal seemingly poreless skin with a heavenly scent of eucalyptus and a plethora of ingredients such as, activated charcoal with a koalin clay-base. For me, his mask isn't like any other out there - I apply it with my hands because I'm too lazy to commit to washing a brush after every application, a little goes a long way but it needs to be applied quickly as it's drying time is short. I tend to focus on my most problematic areas such a T-zone, chin and cheekbone areas but it can be used as an individual treatment on specific spots or blemishes. 

Bare Minerals Original

I first remember hearing about Bare Minerals in a rather cheesy infomercial that was on very late at night years ago - women were dramatically gasping at the results of it and I immediately thought it was too good to be true and brushed it off. It wasn't until a few years later when Bare Minerals really took off that I realised that there must be something in it. More recently, I've been drawn to trying Bare Minerals Original foundation out as a healthier alternative to liquid foundation. 

The Clomid Diaries | Cycle 1 - 50 mg

The time to begin my first cycle of Clomid finally arrived and with that here is the first in what I hope will be short series, The Clomid Diaries. I explained in my previous post about our Second Fertility Appointment what Clomid and why I need it and am using these posts to log the side affects and feelings of each cycle. 

5 Tips for getting a good night\'s sleep with Julian Charles*

I don't know about you but I hate getting a rubbish night's sleep - it ruins my whole day from my mood to my productivity to my timekeeping. I've got myself in a good routine these days that helps me ensure that I wake up as fresh as a daisy and have a dead good day 👍🏼

5 tips to help you work out with Pulsin*

Me and exercise have a funny old relationship - we love each other, we really do but I like to play hard to get. Sometimes I go a bit too far with this and can avoid to the gym for weeks on end - this is something I'm working to change because; everything is sagging, I can't keep paying for it and not go and everything is really sagging. 

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm 💜

This stuff is an absolute game changer, I now genuinely look forward to taking my make-up off. On Tuesday I put a full face on just so that I could take it off with this. As per, Clinique have given us a collection of fantastic products to make our faces cleaner then ever and this balm is my favourite of the Take The Day Off collection. The balm is a solid formula that reacts with the temperature of your hands and face to transform into a liquid oil that's non-greasy and non-drying and feels fan-flipping-tastic. 

Rimmel Cara Camo Collection 💄

Rimmel is a brand that I don't give enough time to which isn't fair because they're always there, in the background providing me with my holy grail products. Rimmel, are just so reliable that I forget about new collections and only tend to pop over to their stand if I need something specific. That changed when I spotted the Cara Camo Collection in the window of Superdrug and mainly because of that lipstick. Cara Delevingne and Rimmel have teamed up to create the perfect collection of glamorous nudes that compliment the current trend of camo we can see everywhere. The collection is limited edition so you need to get your hands on it quick (exclusively from Superdrug) and, there's currently a cheeky 3 for 2 offer on all Rimmel products, go go go. 

Tresemme Keratin Smooth 7 Day System

I don't know whether my medication or the toner I've been using is to blame but I woke up last Saturday with hair that felt and looked disgusting. It felt like wire to touch and clogged with product even though I had washed it the day before, there was no movement and I just had this block of thick, frizz that made me feel like I hadn't washed or had it cut for months, it also had this odd synthetic shine to it that made my hair look fake. I'm in no way an expert on hair but previous experiences, mainly that time when I bleached my hair three times in one day and it fell out 👍🏼 taught me that this feeling meant that my hair was lacking protein. I had noticed the previous evening that a certain was proving difficult to dry and when I brushed it wet it had hint of that dreaded chewing gum feeling. 

5 Reasons not to get a kitten 😼

Kittens are undeniably cute, fluffy little creatures that melt the coldest of hearts but having one (or two) isn't always fun and games (for you). I see any animal as a member of family and therefore see my boys as my actual babies but that doesn't mean they're any less hard work. Getting any animal is a massive commitment and not one that should be taken lightly. If you're unsure about getting a kitten, here's five reasons why you shouldn't:

Out & About: Anglesey Outdoors Eco Lodge Glamping

Last week's mini break to Wales has probably been one of my best kept secrets - my little old lady of a mother turned the big 50 this year and as part of her birthday surprise we dragged her all the way over to Holyhead to photograph some sea birds (especially Puffins) and have a nice break away. I wanted to stay somewhere as close to the coast as possible that was also affordable. After a quick google search, Anglesey Outdoors popped up and I was relieved with their easy to navigate website that shows when bookings are available as well as clearly outlined prices. 

Fertility Clinic Appointment 2 | May 2017

It's been a long and hard four months since our last appointment and we finally have some answers. Following on from the first appointment, I had the various blood tests need to create a full hormone profile of my cycle and awaited the results. I've previously mentioned what a mind f*ck infertility is and the best outcome for this appointment would be that I don't ovulate and the worst case, that I do ovulate and more investigative work would need to be undertaken which, would be bordering on unexplained infertility -  the dead scary stuff. 

Piss Pot Poor Professionals 💸

Theresa May and Jeremy Hunt recently struggled to understand / define the complex reasons as to why nurses are reported going to food banks, like being flat broke isn't the reason why. I can understand why people earning higher incomes would fail to comprehend that qualified professionals are struggling to put food on their tables but the majority of people know that nurses aren't the only piss pot poor professionals out there. Being a professional often means having contracted hours and a pro rata, per annum salary that is above (if only slightly) NMW, based on experience and level of qualifications but being on a salary above NMW doesn't mean that surviving financially every month is possible, I should know.  

Update Your Skincare Routine // Pixi by Petra

I've been wanting to update my skincare routine for a while and feeling a bit bleh about myself was the perfect incentive to start having a snoop around some routines that would be suitable for my skin that is almost as problematic as me. After perusing some of my favourite blogs, I decided I was going to treat myself and try out some products from Pixi, it's not often I'll go all out and buy full sized products for my skin let alone a whole haul but I had an inkling that Pixi might be the one for me, and I was right. 

Glow Tonic // Glow Mud Cleanser // Milky Serum // Fixing Mist

Infertility makes me ugly

I know it's irrational and terribly problematic to say that fertility defines my level of attractiveness but it does and I promised to be candid with this series so here's some ugly truths about infertility 😟.  

I'm coming out of this phase (thank goodness that that's what it was) and am back to making an effort with my appearance and feeling comfortable in my skin again but for a few months I've felt ugly and unattractive and what's disturbed me more about these feelings was my complete lack of motivation to do anything about it. It was almost as though I was punishing myself, as though I deserved to not find my faulty body attractive or be comfortable within it.

Barn // It Manchester

I don't often get my hair done professionally, in a all honesty I find the process boring and expensive especially in those dead fancy salons where you're made to feel crap with one look because you fessed up about trimming your own fringe. Barn It in Manchester have completely changed my mind. Barn It is an up and coming Super Salon that smashes every other salon out of the park with it's classy yet funky design, luxury treatments but good old down to earth northern vibe that makes any visitor feel like a princess / real life unicorn. I first noticed Barn It on Anoushka loves and Hello Terri Lowe  and immediately knew I had to visit.

L'Oreal Infallible Total Cover - How much coverage does it really give?

L'Oreal are bouncing around the Blogosphere like a ping pong ball at the moment and have caught my eye with product releases and campaigns not to mention the fact that they're new collections are a little bit of alright. They've gone from a brand that I usually ignore to the first stand that I head to when I'm in Boots / Superdrug. After trying their Lip Laquers and the oh so famous Miss Baby Roll, I found myself in the market for an affordable foundation and there was this Infallible total cover screaming my name from the middle of Rimmel and GOSH, literally howling. 

How to lead train your Cat

When we first decided that we were going to get a kitten we knew we wanted to train them on a lead - living in a first floor flat means that we don't have outdoor access and me being a clingy mess of a woman means that I'm never comfortable wit cats going out on their own but taking them for walks means that they get to explore the world superglued to my metaphorical apron strings. I ordered these teeny tiny harnesses from Amazon a few weeks ago, they only just fit safely and the boys are ten weeks old - this means that I'm more confident with trying to get them to actually walk on their walks rather than be stuffed down my coat. 

Travelling with Cats

A lot of us cat owners know how it goes down when it's time to take out little angels anywhere. Charles is an absolute nightmare when it comes to travelling and getting him his cat carrier is a good 15 minute long event that results is one stressed cat and a human on the brink of an emotional breakdown. This is because Charles lived a very settled life in the countryside where his entire world was his little cottage and garden and small surrounding area. He didn't need to go into a carrier nor did he need to go in a car so when it came to moving house at the age of two you can only imagine how traumatising it was for both parties, so much so that the mere site of a cat carrier turns him 2D and wide-eyed in fear. 

Catit Senses Circuit

Whilst having house cats is all well and good cats can get quickly and easily bored within the same four walls and ten week old kittens don't understand the concept of Netflix and chill, or even chill for that matter. Albie and Cecil like to become wide awake just as we are getting ready for bed and enjoy a good old game of cat and cat as well as curtain climbing and wire chewing - delightful. I decided that our not so sleeping angels needed some more toys to stimulate them and distract them from chewing each other's ears. I soon discovered the Catit senses kits. 

Meet Albie

This little stunner was supposed to be our only baby way before Cecil pounced into our lives. We went to visit little Albert just over six weeks ago when he was the sized of a hamster. After what seemed like forever, he finally came home and immediately settled in in with his brother. Albert was a 'normal' kitten when he came home, he was nervous shy and somewhat sad, not like the little diva that is Cecil. He's already shown his much softer nature and will creep up to me for cuddles rather than plonk himself in front of me and demand a tummy rub, he leaves some dinner in his bowl and doesn't growl whilst stuffing his face. I thin Albie looks more like a majestic Egyptian cat than the fluff ball, he has long gangly legs and paws that are slightly too big but he's bloody handsome.

Finding a silver lining

I’m of the mentality that forcing positivity on people can be just as damaging as negativity but when you’re going through one of your absolute worst nightmares, you have to try and find a silver lining somewhere, right? So, with gritted teeth in slight hysterics I miraculously came up with the following pros and some of of the most concerning cons.

Hello Cecil

This little chap was supposed to be staying at our house for a few days, considering I'd recently looked after Lucy's cat and successfully handed her back I thought I could do the same with this one. Oh how I was wrong, as it happened this little stunner was in the market for the new family and me, being and emotionally unstable cat addict pestered Luke until he said yes - which took all of forty five minutes because look at that face. 

The Bodyshop all in one BB Cream

A month ago I noticed that my skin was turning bad again, I'd started using the new Clinique foundation which worked wonders for a couple of weeks but as usual, with anything that I put on my face it started to not settle properly and come away in patches during the day. I'd had enough and decided to bite the bullet and go bare faced. My skin needed a break and to be frank, so did I. It sounds dramatic but not being able to find a product that my skin can work with gets frustrating to say the least. After two days of sporting my naked face and just as I was starting to feel a little more confident someone made a comment about me looking tired and that was it. I needed something to cover my face up, even if it was just a little bit.

Fertility Clinic Appointment 1 | February 2017

It’s been six months since our last appointment regarding fertility and we finally got the referral to the clinic for the help. Although it’s a horrible process to undergo we feel so grateful that we’re entitled to get help as the criteria it so incredibly tight. We could have got the referral sooner but it was held up with breast appointments and smear tests (which were all fine). After being told by my GP that we were getting the referral on the 3rd Feb, I received a letter the following Friday advising me to call the my book system at the Hospital to get an appointment at the clinic – I was told on the phone that the soonest available appointment would be in May, I tried booking this but was told it had been taken and there weren’t any other appointments available…ever. This was weird and disheartening, I was then told to wait for a letter, if I didn’t get this letter by the 20th Feb I should contact my GP and get re-referred. Cheers, thanks a lot.

Jo Totes Camera Bag

When I spent and absolute bomb on my new SLR (Canon EOS 1300) I knew I needed a decent bag to carry it around in because I cannot afford to be breaking it – the only problem is that I find actual camera bags proper ugly. After some Insta-scrolling and Pintrest stalking, I found Jo Totes who create stylish yet practical leather camera bags. I immediately fell in love with the Allison Butterscotch Camera Bag – a perfectly sized cross-shoulder bag in a beautiful tan leather that’s ideal for all seasons and most outfits.

How able are my semen?

Sooo...I'm sure you're all aware by now that me and Issy have been trying to conceive, with no luck. As a result, Issy has relentlessly been going for test after test some including having a young male doctor shove a plastic dildo up her private parts to look for a womb or something, well that's what she told me happened anyway. It'd be better if the doctor just told me how to do it and then I could check myself with my human dildo. Anywho, misogyny aside, I wanted to make sure the problem wasn't on my end and thus I went to the doctors. 

Being daisy fresh with Party Eyes*

Initially, I was a little sceptical about this product. I’ve tried plenty of under eye creams and have prayed that each one would work wonders on my tired eyes to no avail. I didn’t notice any dramatic difference after using it on the first morning but when I got to work I was greeted with a you “You look more awake today” from Victoria, once I’d got over the joy of not looking like a cave-girl / zombie I deduced that it must’ve been down to the Party Eyes Serum and proceeded to have a sneaky look at my face in the mirror. Vic was right, the area around my eyes was much brighter and plump making me look fresh faced and ready to seize the day.

Initial fertility tests and ruling out PCOS | July 2016

Our journey to getting the initial fertility tests completed was slightly different to the majority of couples and we were consulted and tested separately. This is because I am classed as essentially 'at risk' of ovarian, uterine and / or cervical cancer. Thankfully, all tests I've had thus far have come back surprisingly healthy - taking my family history into consideration. You see, my Mum, being the utter legend that she is, went and won the female cancer bingo and racked up a full house with ovarian and uterine and cervical cancer all within close proximity and managed to live to tell the tale - shout out to Rhiannon. Now, I know that doesn't mean that I'm going to get cancer but, in our family, if you haven't had a hysterectomy by the time you're fifty we do start to think you're not related.