Do you ever go to pick out the same items daily without even realising? I have started to notice that each day I tend to reach for specific items more often than I do others in fact so much so that I some of these items in today's post are actually everyday staple items for me and it is very rare I end up wearing something different. So here are those items I find myself reaching for every single day without fail...

Since I got my Nike Air Force 1's in 2020 it has been rare that they have been off my feet. They are just such a nice sneaker that are comfortable if I end up walking around or if I am out for the day. They are easy to style too and literally go with all my wardrobe so they are easy just to throw on, I even wear them for work lately. I just tend to pick these out every morning instead of looking through the rest of my sneakers in my collection but I think this is just due to me being lazy. 

My Apple Watch is something I put on daily as it really helps me with my fitness journey as I can track my steps, calories and my workouts. The watch is one of the first things I put on in the morning just out of habit and it is fantastic. It makes life with my phone so much better too as I don't have to keep pulling my phone out of my pocket to check every time I get a notification. I am so glad I have this watch as it has definitely been a good motivation on my fitness journey which is one main reason it is on my wrist daily. 

I am meant to wear my glasses everyday however, for years I have ignored that advise and barely worn them but now my eyes are really suffering and as a result I am getting quite a few headaches which are a nightmare to have. That is why I am trying my best to wear my glasses daily especially if I am sat at my computer for a lot of the day. I have plenty of pairs to wear so there is no need for me not to have a pair on. I have been doing well with wearing them daily at the moment and I am determined to carry this and cut down on the amount of headaches I have. 

Finally an everyday item for me is hairspray... this is something I can't do with out especially when my hair is freshly cut as it just holds my style in place and keeps it looking good for the day. Even now with my hair a bit longer due to me not having it cut I still use my hairspray daily so that I can contain whatever style I have managed to create that day. Usually I would use a lot more products daily but with the length and style my hair is at lately the only thing that works is hairspray. 

So those are the items I have found myself reaching for everyday some such as my glasses are an absolute essential right now to keep my headaches at bay, alongside my Apple watch as I am using that daily as part of my fitness journey. I definitely need to try mix up some of the other items like my sneakers so that other pairs aren't massively neglected like they are starting to be. Plus I have a lot of other scents that are just sat around waiting to be used and I really don't want to waste them. Do you find yourself reaching for specific items daily? If so what are they? 

I have noticed lately that my eating habits seem to be the same every weekend and thanks to me having more time on a weekend I actually believe I eat much better than I do during the weekend as I have more time to cook meals and eat them instead of rushing around skipping meals which has happened a bit too much during the weeks lately. Since last year my diet has definitely changed to be a whole lot healthier but weekends are classed as treat days for me although I do actually try to keep everything in moderation still so that I don't undo all my hard work. Previously with us being at the football most weekends my diet was McDonald's or pies at the football but with the lockdown happening and fans not being allowed in stadiums that has changed and I am at home so I can focus on what I am eating and I don't feel like venturing out just to get fast food these days which is due to me working on myself and changing my mindset when it comes to food. So here is what a typical weekend looks like for me in terms of eating... 

For breakfast I tend to go for two options lately as a weekend treat. During the first lockdown in 2020 I replaced our usual trip to McDonald's by making a homemade sausage & egg McMuffin which was gorgeous and a lot healthier than the usual one from the fast food chain. They definitely turned out a lot better than I expected so some weekends we treat ourselves to this especially when we just fancy jumping in the car and going to McDonald's for breakfast, it has not only helped me eat better but it is also a great money saver too. My new favourite though which is definitely a weekend winner is a fried egg bagel. It is so simple and fills me up for quite a while, all I need to do is fry two eggs and toast a bagel (when I can be bothered) and I am good to go. I have found that this fills me up a lot more than expected and I don't need to snack between breakfast and lunch when I have this meal which is always a bonus. 

Lunch is pretty similar to the weekdays for me on a weekend as these meal combinations are favourites of mine which are very easy to make and are pretty good for me compared to the Tesco meal deal I used to get. First up I love to have some seasoned chicken with pasta or rice, if I am feeling particularly lazy I will go for precooked chicken and a packet or rice as it is so much quicker, or I will cook and season some chicken and have some pasta with it which takes a bit more time but is great. If I know I am having chicken for my dinner though I will often swap the chicken from my lunch out with a tin of tuna which again is a really quick and easy lunch to have. 

For our dinners we usually we tend to either have some form of chicken and chips just as we do most evenings during the week, we usually just get the Asda chicken where you can have hunters chicken or loaded chicken as it is really nice, pretty healthy and quite quick to make. They have plenty of variety of chicken so we don't have to be having the same thing multiple times a week. It seems as though we prefer chicken to other meats lately. Sometimes if we fancy it we will have a bit of a steak night every now and again and we tend to have this on a weekend so we can just enjoy our evening together, this is a pretty rare occasion but it is definitely something I would love to do more often, a themed night for food each weekend could be pretty fun. With it being the weekend we will use one evening as a treat/cheat day where we will order a takeaway where surprise surprise I order chicken and chips 9 times out of 10, we definitely need to cut back on takeaways so those themed nights might definitely be a weekend staple soon. 

There are plenty of snacks thrown in the mix on a weekend too especially with me just being sat at home but over the past few months I have tried my best to swap out the junk I eat to healthier alternatives. In terms of crisps I tend to have swapped them out to popchips or proper chips which are quite a bit healthier than what I used to eat. I also go for none dairy ice cream or yogurts too so that my stomach doesn't ache for days after too. I do still eat a fair bit of chocolate too but I go for none dairy chocolate too or I just try to not eat a full share bag like I used to as that was definitely my downfall when it came to food. I normally stick to just water during the week just because it means I only need to have 1 bottle with me but on a weekend I definitely change up what I drink, I still have my water but that is normally mixed in with tea, coffee, juice, fizzy drinks or even some alcohol as it gets to the evening. 

I definitely treat myself on a weekend but as I say I do try to stay on track with my healthy eating as I want to lose weight instead of putting on what I lost during the week on a two day binge. It is amazing to see how my eating habits have changed in the space of a year as if I wrote this at the start of 2020 all the meals would have been takeaways or fast food. I am hoping to have an even better relationship with food by this time next year so who knows what this will be like in the future. Maybe I will revisit this post next year and compare how things are. 

What do you typically eat on a weekend?

 If you had told me last year I would be so impressed my a pair of sale sneakers from River Island I would probably have laughed at you. However, this pair I picked up just before Christmas in the sale for just £15 is already one of my favourite pairs as I love how different they are to the other pairs I already own. They just look a whole lot smarter than any of the other sneakers I own which definitely makes them more versatile as I can dress them up for those smarter days and ditch the plain white Air Force's for a change. 

Up until the end of 2019 I had heard of Pinterest however, I hadn't actually paid much attention to the site and didn't actually use it. But I finally decided to sign up and see what it is all about and I actually got a little bit hooked. I started creating pins for my blog but more importantly I ended up creating a lot of boards to help me find inspiration for various topics in my life and it has been so helpful. 

Now if I am looking at purchasing an item of clothing I will go on Pinterest and simply type in 'styling...' whichever piece it is and look for how others style it and if there are any similar styles to how I would wear the item. This is actually saving me plenty of money as there are so many outfits uploaded on there if there aren't many similar to my style then I hold off making the purchase until I can try it on for myself before making the purchase. If there are styles similar to my own though I will see if I can put my own spin on it to make it just a little bit different. 

It isn't just fashion that it helps me find inspiration for though as there are many other aspects that I have used the site for. When we were doing our garden last year I actually created a board full of things that were similar to the idea I had in my mind for our back garden, this definitely came in handy as when it came to purchasing items I could see the things that were common across my favourite pins and look to purchase those instead of wasting money on things I didn't really like. I have even used the site to find out the best storage solutions for my items when we get our hallway done as well as how I can organise and lay out my wardrobe so that clothing items don't get neglected and I can pair up outfits as fast as possible whilst still having them looking good. It is funny how just using this site has actually helped up my organisation levels and helped me stay productive as I spend a lot less time messing around and can just get on with things as I had planned before with the boards and took out all the guess work. Yes it might take a few days or months putting the boards together but it is all worth it in the end. 

All you have to do is search what you are looking for and you are more than likely going to find the inspiration you are looking for on that topic. I am currently looking at redoing my gaming PC/blogging set up in the games room so I have now built a board on the site where I can put all the set ups that are inspiring me and see if I can take ideas from them to make my own ultimate set up where I can get maximum productivity out of the space as well as enjoy my gaming time there. Just after having a quick glance I know that there are going to be plenty of pins that I can use to help me create the ultimate area that changes the area I am currently in and makes it a much more enjoyable space to what I have. 

Pinterest has definitely become one of the sites I love checking in on and every time you search something for your board something else catches your eye that you might not have seen on a previous search which for me just makes it even more exciting when you log in as you don't really know when that perfect pin is going to come along and set your future ideas in motion. I have so far used the site for inspiration for the rooms in our house, the garden, my wardrobe, organisation, fashion and now I am using it for ideas for my set up so I can definitely recommend checking the site for inspiration for things you are working on too. Now I just need to start using it to pin my blog posts to so I can drive some extra traffic to my blog which definitely helped me in the past. 

But first I am going to spend some time planning out some outfits through my boards ready for when this lockdown is over and I can get out and about again and also get looking for more set up ideas so I can get things moving with redoing that area and start being productive again instead of dreading going to sit at the PC. 

Over the past few years I have been trying to really improve my style without spending a fortune as I soon realised that I was wasting money due to me losing weight plus I quickly realised that there isn't really any need to spend a fortune to improve your style as some simple hacks or initial steps will improve that style on a budget or without spending a penny at all. So here are some of the hacks and steps that I have done that have definitely helped me improve my style and couple possibly help you too... 

Throw out clothes with holes in, that are beyond repair or faded

This is a big one that I have learnt to do, there is no need to hold onto an old ruined item of clothing for sentimental reasons. If clothes look worn out and have holes in that are clearly not meant to be there then your outfit is also going to look worn out which is going to be the opposite of how you want it to look. Go through your wardrobe and through out those tired looking clothes and replace them to make them look fresh and your outfits looking fresh. Keep an eye on your jeans too as they may start to fade after being washed too many times which I have definitely noticed recently. If your outfit is meant to have black jeans you are going to want to make sure they are black same with black t-shirts too. This will keep your outfit stylish and looking like it has been planned out and not just thrown on in a last minute rush. 

Don't purchase an item just because it is cheap

I have fallen into this trap before and I am determined not to make the same mistake twice. I have purchased a cheap item and realised it hasn't fit in with my wardrobe and that the quality brings down the rest of the outfit down. There is no point buying an item cheap just to own it so you may as well save up and purchase a better quality version of that item. By waiting you will not only improve the quality of that item but you will also know if you will really want that item or not. 

Plan your outfits

This is something I have started doing in the past year or so and I am loving it. I used to just throw on any random items and head out of the door however, now I take time in working out what I wear each day. More often than not I actually spend evenings putting together my outfits for the next day or even the following week if I know what my plans are. This just means I can put things together to see what works and what doesn't and if the outfits look as I pictured them in my head. By planning outfits you save so much time on a morning and also get to work out different outfit combinations that you might not have tried if you was just rushing around throwing an outfit together. 

Keep your shoes clean

One thing I hate more than anything is dirty worn out shoes. I can't cope when my white sneakers don't look white and are all scuffed so I try to keep on top of keeping them clean. For me if my sneakers aren't clean I feel like my outfit isn't complete. Dirty sneakers just bring an outfit down in my opinion so when you are putting together an outfit just don't forget to check your footwear too, your outfit will look a lot more stylish if you take care of every item. 

Cuff you pants 

As someone who struggles to get jeans that fit them this is something I do far too often. With me being so short finding trousers or jeans that fit just right is a difficult task so these days I just buy a regular or short pair and cuff the bottoms. I either do this by simply rolling them up or I do the elastic band hack that I have seen so many times on social media. By cuffing the bottoms it just makes sure they sit right above your footwear and just adds a little extra to your outfit as they are no longer just straight leg which trail under your feet and along the ground getting ruined every time you wear them. 

Have your clothing tailored 

Similarly to cuffing your pants if an item of clothing doesn't fit you could always take it for tailoring. By getting an item tailored it is going to fit you perfectly as it has been tailored just for your body. This will definitely improve your style as those clothes that have been tailored will have the perfect fit rather than being a bit bigger than usual. This might cost you a bit of money if it isn't something you can do yourself or if you don't know someone who can do it but it will definitely be worth it in the end. 

Use accessories 

Sometimes it is the simplest of things that can make your outfit look more stylish. I have realised this past year that just adding some nice simple accessories can upgrade your outfit that is why I have taken to wearing necklaces, bracelets and rings a lot more often. Even adding a simple pair of sunglasses can upgrade an outfit on those nicer weather days. If you don't usually add accessories to your outfit give it a try it will definitely surprise you.

Roll your sleeves

Just like with cuffing your pants rolling your sleeves can also make an outfit look more stylish. Sometimes t-shirt sleeves a little too long and baggy for me so I like to add a nice small roll just to make them a bit tighter and shorter. By doing this with shirts you can also change up your outfit too by rolling up your sleeves on a casual shirt you can then show off your accessories and the sleeves might feel a bit tighter than previously giving it a better fit. It is amazing how simply rolling your sleeves can change your outfit. 

Tuck the clothing item in

Tucking in my shirt or t-shirt is something I am trying to do more often as I find it definitely smartens up your outfit. It is funny really I spent years complaining about tucking my shirt in at school but now I am actually willing to tuck in my clothing to benefit my style. I have found that by tucking in a regular fit t-shirt it just brings in the bagginess a bit and makes it look a bit better. it also helps when layering too as I no long have my t-shirt stuck out the bottom of my checked shirt.

So those are the things I have learnt to improve my style over the recent years. What tips have you used to improve your style?

It isn't just different clothing & accessories that you may need as essentials in your wardrobe or general possession, there are also items that will care for your clothing or shoes to make them last a lot longer and help you get your monies worth out of each item. This list is not only made up of items I own already and absolutely love, so much so that I repurchase them when required, but it also includes some items that I am determined to purchase throughout the year to improve the lifespan of my clothing and shoes. So here are the items that I believe are essential for looking after your clothes and shoes...

Clothes Steamer

We own an iron but I really don't bother with it as it just seems a farce setting the ironing board up and standing and ironing that is why I think a clothes steamer would be so much easier, I can just get the one item out as and when I required it quickly give the item of clothing a once over with the steamer and be good to go. These are pretty inexpensive and I have heard good things about them so I think it is time to make that purchase. I currently use the Lenor crease release spray however, a clothes steamer would definitely be a lot beneficial. 

I wear a lot of black t-shirts and jeans and one thing that drives me mad is when the outfit gets covered in any hairs or fluff so I always have a lint roller to hand to remove as much of that as possible before I head out. I am getting a bit fed up of using the roller so I am going to be investing a bit of money into an actual brush in the near future. The brushes are pretty inexpensive but are a great addition to your wardrobe as it just sharpens up your outfit and keeps it looking clean ready for you to head out the door.  

Quality Clothing Hangers

I use non slip velvet style clothing hangers and since making the change to them a few years ago I have found that my clothing is certainly lasting a lot longer. The hangers hold the clothing in places nicely and even after an item been hung for a while you can't see where it has been hung on the shoulders and it is still in a nice shape. Even when a pair of trousers have been hung over one of these hangers you can't tell that they have been as they are left in good condition without any lines left from where they have been hung. 

Sewing Kit

Now this is something I need to purchase as I believe everyone should have one in their home, my mum had a little box full of sewing bits with different coloured cotton ready to patch up anything we needed, but since moving out I haven't got around to picking one up yet. A sewing kit comes in handy for any small holes that may appear on clothing where a quick repair wouldn't be too noticeable. Having a sewing kit has helped me quickly patch up an item before I bought a replacement and it has also helped me hold onto the item a bit longer than expected too if a quick sew has managed to fix it up nicely. 

Shoe Horns

For so long I would just throw on shoes or sneakers without even unlacing them but this meant the shoes didn't last two minutes due to me wearing down the backs. However now I take a bit more care and attention when putting on my footwear however sometimes it is still a bit difficult to get the shoe or sneaker on. That is why I would love to invest in a quality shoe horn and if you do similar to me I would highly recommend picking one up too. A shoe horn will open up those tighter shoes or sneakers a bit more and make them easier to put on without causing damage. 

Shoe Trees

One thing I really don't like is when my favourite shoes or sneakers start to lose shape or start to gather an odour thanks to how often they are worn and how they are stored. One thing I am wanting to do in the near future is pick up some shoe trees for my favourite pairs of shoes and sneakers I own so that they can be kept in shape and so they will last me longer than they currently do. You can get some reasonably priced shoe trees but I think if I pick up any it will be the wooden ones. 

Crep Protect Wipes

These have been an item I am always well stocked up on as it helps keep my sneakers looking nice and clean and well looked after. These are around £6 for 12 wipes which some of you may find expensive but honestly they have kept so many of my sneakers looking box fresh and in such good condition for such a lot longer than previously so it has actually saved me a lot of money as I aren't having to restock my favourites and spend a fortune on that. The wipes are really good for cleaning even the toughest dirt off my sneakers so with where I live they definitely come in handy. 

 Crep Protect Spray 

Just like with the Crep Protect wipes, the Crep Protect spray is another item that I repurchase. Living in England the weather is definitely on the bad side 90% of the year and with most of my sneakers being materials that will easily ruin in the rain, mud or snow this is an essential for me. Just a spray over the shoe keeps it protected from the elements. I was skeptical about the spray at first but thanks to using it my Puma Nova's are still as white as the day I bought them. 

Shoe Boxes

I keep my go to favourites in their original boxes just to offer them some extra protection for them when they aren't being worn. Just having them in the boxes stops any excess dirt or dust covering them when they are sat on the shoe rack. Amazon have some pretty inexpensive options for plastic shoes boxes however, I love the Crep Protect ones so when the hallway gets done it may be time to pick some of those up. If you have a favourite pair of shoes or sneakers you love and want to keep in good condition for a long time definitely invest in some shoe boxes. 

Those are what I think everyone needs to look after their clothing and shoes more than they already do, I know that this year I am definitely going to try pick up some more of these items that I am missing to improve the condition of my clothing and sneakers even more. 

I have decided that I don't want to keep adding my measurements to these posts and I will do a big reveal of those at the end of the year along with some images to show the progress or lack of progress I made during the year. I will also be adding in goals each month that I will be recapping the month after to see if I achieved them or not which will hopefully be a lot of good news instead of I didn't hit this because... I think these will help hold me more accountable and really help bring my motivation back as I know exactly what I am working towards each month.

So here is how my weight loss went on the scales...

With me having so many sneakers I am bound to go off some at a point as they end up neglected when I pick up new favourites. There are specific styles and colourways that I just aren't a fan of anymore and I think that really does have a lot to do with my style evolving since these pairs were purchased because my style is definitely changing lately as I find what is best for me. It isn't that I don't like these sneakers anymore it is just they haven't been in my rotation for a long time due to my style change or just as I prefer others due to the colours. So here are the sneakers in my collection that I seem to have gone off...

My parents actually got both me and my sister a pair of these and originally I loved them however, over time I started to fall out of love with them as they didn't really go with my outfits any more. Plus with them being so white they are an absolute nightmare to keep clean especially in the typical UK weather. My style has changed a bit more and I think these could be good for the warmer weather so who knows they may be worn again one day. 

When I got these leather Vans they were the best thing ever for me as I could wear Vans all year round without needing to worry about them getting ruined easily. But over time I noticed they were getting far too creased for my liking and the inside of the heel started coming away and they were starting to get really uncomfortable. The main problem for me is when leather sneakers start to crease I go off them really quickly as they just don't look as good to me and this is one of the main reasons I have gone off them. 

Another pair of Vans that I seem to have gone off are these grey and pink ones which have been in my collection for about 4 years now. Back when I bought them they went with so many of my outfits but now they don't go with much. The white rubber sole has also become a bit discoloured too due to the age and wear of them which just doesn't look great and drags an outfit down a bit. It is a shame that I have gone off these as they used to be one of my absolute favourites. Maybe I can get back to loving them again one day.

I want to try work some of these sneakers into my sneaker collection as I think a few of these pairs will be great in the spring/summer months when they have had a bit of a clean up. It is time I started rotating my pairs I wear a bit more so that I actually wear more than just 3 pairs in the space of a year as I have plenty that will look great with specific outfits. 

Are there any specific sneakers in your collection that you have gone off?

 Compared to what I have spent lately I think I did quite well throughout February as I definitely didn't spend half as much as I thought I would. Most of my purchases were for birthdays that are coming up however, I did end up treating myself to a fair few bits and here is what I picked up that I can show... 

When I was in Asda I spotted the World Book Day section was out and headed over to see if there was anything my nephew might like... instead of getting him a book though I ended up getting myself the Skulduggery Pleasant book they have published for World Book Day. At just £1 it is a great new addition to my Skulduggery Pleasant collection. 

I also picked up book 13 from the series as it is a book series I have loved since I was younger and I really want to get up to date and read the full collection. When I saw this for £4 I wasn't going to miss out on it and now I just need all the books between book 8 and 13. 

My auntie messaged me to let me know that the gaming clothing in Asda was on sale and if I wanted any of the items, which she ended up to treating me to for Easter. First up I got this Xbox hoodie which I absolutely love. I was a bit weary at first as it is a women's fit but for a change the length is perfect and it is really comfortable. 

I also got some Xbox leggings which is a big change for me as I usually never go near leggings. These are mainly going to be for lounging in but they are really nice and I have surprised myself with how much I like them. 

To go with the rest of the Xbox clothing I picked up this icon t-shirt which again has really surprised me due to it been a women's piece. I love how nice and simple this t-shirt is with the central logo and white stripes on the sleeves. I don't think this will be for just lounging as it is perfect for those days out too where I don't want to be too dressed up such as if we go for a walk. 

I didn't forget about my love for PlayStation though whilst picking up the clothing, I also got this PlayStation t-shirt with the symbols on that are a little bit glittery which again is totally opposite to what I would normally pick up. This is a bit oversized compared to the Xbox t-shirt so is going to be really comfortable for those gaming sessions. 

This was a bit of a random purchase as it was reduced down to 75p so I thought I would give it ago. This is just going to live in the games room for me to mess around with if I am sat wondering what to write for a blog post or if I am getting stressed in a game. This is meant to help reduce stress so let's see if that works. 

I also treated myself to a new Bradford City scarf for when we can finally return to games. I absolutely love this one as it says Forza City and has the old badge on it. It has been a while since I have treated myself to a football scarf and this is the perfect purchase for me. 

I seem to have become a bit hooked on buying football shirts in February and I added 3 more to my ever growing collection. First up I got this replica Juventus shirts from 1992 and it even came in this really nice Juventus box too which is definitely being kept nice and safe. I can't wait to get wearing this shirt.

After waiting far too long I finally have my hands on a Kelley O'Hara shirt and what makes this even better is it is my first NWSL shirt in my collection too. I absolutely love this Utah Royals shirts so it is definitely the best way to kick off my NWSL shirt collection.

I also added another Rangers shirt to my collection too which was a bargain at £12.99, I actually also got Liam one of these for Valentines day which he seemed to like too. I now have two Rangers shirts in my collection and I know this one definitely won't be my last. 

So there you go that is everything I bought that I can show from the month of February. What was the best thing you purchased?