My Current Favourite Shops To Look In

 

Since changing around with my style and finding something that suits me more I have been finding new shops to try however, I always seem to be going back to the old faithfuls where I know I am getting a fairly good quality product at a reasonable price and where I know they are going to fit me rather than having to constantly be returning items. Whilst I am losing weight I aren't planning on spending a fortune on clothes so the stores I shop in are all reasonably priced so that I aren't wasting money. With my style changing I have gone from shops like JD and Footaylum being favourites to stores that sell smarter clothes so here are the shops I am shopping in recently and am absolutely loving... 



River Island

Until the middle of last year I couldn't fit into most of the clothing I liked in River Island so to finally be able to buy the clothes I love from their is fantastic. There is something for almost every style in River Island and the clothing is really good prices and is great quality. I love the graphic t-shirts from this store but honestly as I am moving away from wearing them now there are still plenty of great clothing options in store for me to pick from whilst I am developing my ideal style. They also have sales on quite often too which is great as I can save a bit more money and don't feel like I have wasted loads if the item is too big a few weeks later. 

H & M 

My favourite thing to buy from H&M is definitely their checked shirts as they are fantastic quality for what they cost. I already have a lot of their shirts in my wardrobe and will be adding even more as the year progresses. I also love their plain t-shirts as again they are a fantastic fit and are a really good price at £3.99. I would have to say H&M are definitely my go to for essentials and basics just down to the variety they have to offer and how much they cost. Plus they treat you on your birthday so items are even cheaper, this is usually the time I get stocked up on items as the extra discount really does go a long way. The website wish list feature is great too for keeping an eye on stock and price reductions. 

Primark

I absolutely love Primark still after all these years and I think recently they have just got better and better with the items they are selling. Yes the prices have gone up a bit but to be honest it is still really good prices for the items they sell with quite a few lately looking more expensive than they are. They have done some great collaborations like their one with Kem which is a range I could easily buy one of everything from. They are also brilliant for lounge wear and every birthday and Christmas I end up with a pair of pyjamas from the store as they are some of the best on the market that I have tried. I honestly buy so much from Primark whether it is clothing, footwear or my favourite perfume.  

Sports Direct

This is a bit of a random one but my life has changed over the past year and Sports Direct has really helped me get stocked up on items I have needed for those changes. I started boxing so I got my boxing gloves from their, I went back to football so it is where I have bought my football equipment from and it is also where I now get a lot of my workout clothes from now as they have some great products on some great offers plus my local store always has plenty of stock. As I start working out more and playing football more frequently I will be buying a lot more from here including some training equipment for when we sort the side garden out too as they are great for those items too. No doubt this will be where a lot of my walking gear comes from too as I start to purchase that. But for now I need to make a list of just what I need because if not I go in store and buy everything apart from what I need. 

I really do think as I start to discover more new stores and incorporate more items to fit my style my favourites list will be changing because some stores are going to be a whole lot better for my desired style. Plus there is also the possibility that my weight loss is going to mean I fit better in clothing from stores I have not bee able to wear for years. I am sure you will be seeing plenty of favourite shop posts over the coming years as my style develops but for now these are by far my favourite shops. 

Posted by No comments
Labels:

A Weekend Evening Routine After The Football


With my love for football growing and showing no signs of slowing down it is no surprise that more often than not my full weekend is spent revolving around football. With the football blog going in the right direction too it also means a lot of time is spent on that too and is taking up a whole lot of time but of course with it being football I really don't mind at all. So today's post is going to be taking a look at how a typical weekend looks for me when football is involved. In most cases when I am at football on the Saturday to watch Bradford City men then on a Sunday I am usually at Bradford City Women to report on the game for the Edge of the Area blog. So here is how one of those weekends goes typically...

Saturday 
9 times out of 10 if we are at the football on a Saturday afternoon Liam is working in the morning, this means rather than sitting on my own all day I will take my nephew football training before heading out shopping with my mum for an hour or so. I don't know why I do this so often though as I tend to spend an absolute fortune when I am out with my mum as for some reason I just lose control of my money. Once we get back from shopping it is a case of watching a bit of football on the TV before heading to pick Liam up from our house to go to the football. Football is also food time for me as I don't tend to eat before I get to the game, I usually just save myself for one of the chicken balti pies they serve. Once the game is over and done with my dad then drops us back off at home ready for us just to relax for the rest of the evening. At this time of year I need to warm back up after the game so I usually get straight into my loungewear and head into the games room. This is where I will either turn on my PC to watch some YouTube or I will head on over to the TV to play on my consoles. I then play games for quite a while and we usually have a takeaway on its way to us by this time. Once I have eaten and had enough of gaming I will then head off to bed where I will watch a little bit of Grey's Anatomy before drifting off to sleep. 

Sunday
On Sunday it is time to go again and I can never seem to sleep in these days so it is an early rise for me whilst Liam has a bit of a lie in. Sunday morning is when I write my to do list for the week ahead and upload any pictures that I need to for up coming blog posts. If the weather is ok we will then go for a nice walk before coming back to get ready for yet another game of football. Once I am back I will get changed, pack the camera bag and then we head over to watch Bradford City Women. Whilst at that game I am constantly writing notes whilst Liam is taking images for Edge of the Area ready for when we get back home. Once we are home I am then get the match report typed up and I then go through all the pictures Liam took, add some to the match report and save some for Instagram. Once all that is done it is time to get ready for the week ahead. This is when I plan my outfits for the week ahead, pack my bag for work and just relax for the rest of the evening. This is when I tend to binge watch the most of Grey's Anatomy before heading to bed. Sunday's are definitely the day of the week where I go to bed the earliest. 

So there you have it that is what a typical weekend looks like for me when it is a weekend filled with football. I have to say these types of weekends are definitely my favourites as they are filled with one of the things I love the most and it definitely keeps me busy in a good way. I would honestly be happy if all my weekends were exactly like this. 


Posted by No comments
Labels:

My Two Current Go To Autumn Outfits

Autumn is definitely my favourite time when it comes to clothing as I experiment with my outfits a whole lot more as I love autumn fashion and especially layering up as it is when I feel more comfortable. We are only a few weeks into autumn however, I have already noticed I seem to be reaching for certain outfit combinations more than others as they just make me feel better in myself and give me that little bit of a confidence boost. Both these outfits are pretty smart as opposed to my summer style of t-shirts & shorts and to be honest I think that is what helps boost my confidence, looking smarter definitely helps me feel much better in myself. What I love about these outfits though are is that they are so versatile they can be worn on a day to day basis, for events or even for work which is great as I can get more wear out of the clothing items rather than just having to save them for work or weekends. So here are the 2 outfits that I am reaching for more than any others... 


I think this outfit is forever going to be one of my favourites as it is when I am definitely feeling more me. I have always loved a good flannel shirt especially a red and black one and in autumn it is always a top I reach for more than anything else, they are just so comfortable and absolutely brilliant for layering up or just creating a smart casual look. I wear this with a black t-shirt underneath so I can either wear the shirt buttoned up or unbuttoned which to be honest it just depends on my mood if I have it done up or not as unbuttoned looks more casual yet buttoned up looks a little smarter. I team the top up with a pair of either plain skinny or slim jeans or a pair of black ripped jeans depending on what sort of style I want to go for but if I want to be a bit smarter I will just go for plain skinny jeans. On my feet my go to for this outfit is just a pair of plain white sneakers, especially really clean ones as they just finish off the look for me and look a bit smarter than a standout pair of sneakers. White sneakers are just a bit more subtle as opposed to some of the other sneakers I own although I will sometimes pair this outfit with my Vans Old Skools if I fancy some black footwear to tone the look down a little bit more. If it does dropped colder I will also through on a bomber jacket or my Superdry jacket over this to add an extra layer for some extra warmth. 

This outfit is definitely a go to for work as it is a little bit smarter for the office and it certainly keeps me warm in the old building which just doesn't seem to warm up. I love wearing my chunky knit jumper from Primark when the weather drops colder as it keeps me nice and warm and it actually fits really well these days, the sleeves are the correct length as it the body and to say how cheap it is it definitely looks a little more expensive. This is actually the first chunky knit jumper I have owned and I am really hoping to pick up some more especially as winter approaches. There is just something about a nice jumper for work that I love at this time of year but then again with how cold the office is I basically wear them all year round. I team this jumper up with a pair of plain black skinny jeans especially if I am wearing it for work as it just dresses th outfit up that little bit more and looks better fitting than slim or ripped jeans. If I am wearing the outfit for work I will usually wear my white sneakers just for some extra comfort but often I will reach for my Chelsea boots with this outfit just to dress it up a bit more. As for a jacket with this outfit I will usually wear my smart coat just to dress it up even more or if it is just to walk to work in I will through on a windbreaker. 

These are definitely the outfits I am reaching for more and more lately and to be honest I think that flannel shirt look is going to forever be a favourite of mine just because of how versatile it is, plus my wardrobe is starting to fill up with more and more flannel shirts at the moment which to be honest I aren't going to complain about as I absolutely love it. No doubt my favourites will keep on changing as I come up with more combinations when I have gone through my wardrobe properly but for now I am happy with these two.

Posted by No comments
Labels:

The Whisky I Would Love To Purchase

I have mentioned in the past how I have started to drink a lot more whisky and you can read that post here, but what I have realised lately is there are a whole lot more brands that I would absolutely love to try. These brands are all at different price points but they are the ones that I have been recommended the most or the ones that have jumped out on me when I have been browsing in stores or online. Some of these I have even seen when I have been out drinking but I have stuck with the old faithfuls instead of trying them. I have noticed with what we already have in our collection that I tend to opt for more bourbons than anything else but this list consists of bourbons and even some scotch. So here are the whisky's I would love to pick up in the future...



I mentioned in my previous post how much I love Johnnie Walker whisky especially the black label however, a bottle I always head over to is their blue label. I have wanted to try this for a very long time but the price of £160.00 really does put me off. I have said in the past though if I ever achieve some big goals that I have I will purchase a bottle of this as a bit of a celebration. Who knows at some point my collection my include every label that Johnnie Walker does. 


This Hibiki Japanese blended whisky is also a bottle that always seems to catch my eye, in fact a lot of Japanese drinks do at the moment but again it is the price tag that is really off putting for me. £200.00 for a whisky just seems ridiculous to say all I am going to do is drink it.I think if I shop around and can find this cheaper though it will be soon added to the alcohol cabinet as I think me and some members of the family could really enjoy it. 


Now we are into the more realistic purchase options as the price point is drastically reduced for this Makers Mark bourbon, at just £25.00 I have seen this in a few different supermarkets now and each time I am drawn towards it but just haven't managed to pick up a bottle yet. I think once I have finished the Johnnie Walker black label I am currently drinking I think I will be restocking with this one, fingers crossed it is a good one. 


Monkey shoulder is another really reasonably priced whisky at just £35.00 and it is one that has been recommended to me a lot from some of my family members. My grandad has mentioned this one to me a lot so I think it might finally be time to pick a bottle up. Again this can be found in most supermarkets so it could easily be one of the first bottles I buy as a bit of a treat. 


I have heard so much about Talisker from blog posts I have read and just from looking into different whisky's to purchase. I think after how much I have read I really need to pick up a bottle for myself to see if it is as good as people say. For a bottle of their 18 year old single malt scotch it is going to cost around £90 so again this is going to be a treat bottle a little further down the line but if I can get it a bit sooner I definitely will. 

Woodford Reserve Bourbon Whisky £33.00 

Finally we have another more affordable option with this Woodford Reserve bourbon, again I have seen this in quite a few supermarkets but just haven't got around to purchasing a bottle yet but at around £33.00 I will definitely be picking up a bottle very soon as I think it could be a pretty good bourbon for the price. I think I do really need to get through a few of the bourbons we already own first though as they are starting to pile up and I really want to buy the Maker's Mark one first.

I don't tend to drink very often but when I do it is definitely a good glass of whisky I am reaching for and it has been that way for a while now so lets hope that I can start adding even more bottles to the collection soon and discover some new favourites. Gone are the days of just buying a bottle of Jack Daniels it is now time to go out there and explore my options. 

If you drink whisky what is one of your go to bottles?  

Posted by No comments
Labels:

The Brands I Would Love To Try

 

With my style changing I am determined to try some new brands when it comes to me purchasing my new clothing. It is safe to say a lot of my inspiration for my new style has come from Instagram, YouTube and other blogs and it has opened my eyes to brands I have never considered buying from before and even ones I had never even heard of before. I am hoping that in the near future as I am a bit closer to my goal weight I can invest in a few pieces from these brands to make my wardrobe a bit more as I want it to look, aka closer to my perfect style. So here are the brands I want to try and incorporate into my wardrobe... 



Ralph Lauren 

I have had a Ralph Lauren baseball cap in the past but as I am piecing my new wardrobe together I really want to add more pieces from this brand. I am trying my best to smarten myself up that little bit more so I want to pick up a variety of their classic women's shirts as I absolutely love how they look and style the right way the could be perfect for work and days out. I also want a few sweatshirts from the brand as they look great for lounging around in and also dressing down an outfit a bit. Ralph Lauren is a brand I have heard very good things about so fingers crossed I can pick up some items sooner rather than later. 

Barbour

I have always loved the thought of getting a Barbour jacket as I just absolutely love how they look and how much of a smart countryside vibe they give off. I would love one of their jackets for walks me and Liam head off on. Previously one of these jackets would have never fit my style however, with the direction my style seems to be going in I think I could easily make it work now. I am hoping that I can save up a bit and then invest in the perfect style Barbour jacket for me as a bit of a treat for when I do eventually hit that weight loss goal I am aiming for. It is safe to say I am definitely looking at this as an investment piece rather than an everyday piece though. 

Hunter 

My sister has had a pair of Hunters for absolutely ages now and they are still going strong so with me trying to go on more walks I want to invest in a good pair of Wellingtons and Hunter are certainly the top of the list when it comes to this. I want a classic colour pair that is going to last me just as long as hers have and that I can throw on when the weather gets bad or when I am going on muddy walks as the weather gets worse, which I am definitely hoping to do a lot of. Again these are going to be a bit of an investment but fingers crossed I can wear them plenty of times. 

Karen Millen x Lydia Millen

 I am absolutely loving Lydia Millen's content on both YouTube and Instagram, when I saw her latest release with Karen Millen I ended up saving a few items to my phone in hopes of picking them up in the very near future again though they are a bit more on the expensive side so I want to wait as long as possible before I purchase these to make sure I will get my wear out of them with me losing weight. I will be honest until Lydia started working with the brand I had never heard of them but the jodhpurs they do and the white shirt is absolutely perfect and would fit the style I am going for brilliantly. I think Karen Millen's website is one I will be checking more often if the Lydia Millen collection is anything to go by. 

In The Style x Lorna Luxe

Another collaboration I am loving at the moment is the In The Style & Lorna Luxe collaboration. 99% of the clothing in this collection has caught my eye and I would absolutely love to add some into my wardrobe soon. The sweatshirts are gorgeous as are the blazers and to be honest if I could only pick 3 items from the collection I would really struggle as there are that many items jumping out at me. The collection is really smart and is perfect for that smarter look I am wanting to aim for whilst not been far too expensive like some other collections with other brands. 

There you have it those are the brands I am really hoping to try in the very near future. As I have said in the past as I am losing my weight I am slowly but surely gaining that confidence to be who I really want to be including dressing how I have wanted to for a long time. Lets hope that I can start trying other brands soon too including ones in this post and slowly build up my perfect wardrobe. Have you tried any of these brands before? What items from them would you recommend? 

Posted by No comments
Labels:

We Are Finally Updating The Games Room

When we moved into our house over 3 years ago now the room we definitely rushed was the games room. This room is the one we wanted to finish the most so we simply painted over holes in the walls and set things up, we didn't consider the furniture we put in the room and to be honest I just have never been happy with it. It has always felt rushed and just nothing like I imagined it but now the loft is sorted we have decided to rework our way around the house to get every room redecorated and looking exactly how we want it. We have said we are going to start at the top and make our way back down so the first room to get a complete makeover is the games room at long last. So here is the plan for the games room area by area...

First up we have the console area which is by far the worst at the moment as it is just so cluttered with excess games, consoles that don't get used plus that huge TV unit really does drive me mad. This are is basically the feature wall area so it is going to be painted navy blue and the TV is going to be hung on the wall. Under the TV will be a nice slim TV unit with the PS5 and Xbox Series X on top with a few other important accessories. Then any cabinet space will be used to games, controllers and other accessories that are better hidden away. The really tall bookcases will also be going and they will be replaced by possibly 2 smaller ones either side of the TV unit just hold any excess games, figures or any books we might want to keep up here in this room. I am determined to keep this room looking nice and clean and tidy rather than it looking far too cluttered. This is where I spent most of my time looking due to me mainly playing the consoles so I want this area looking perfect. 

My desk area has already changed since this image as I have a gaming chair now and a lighter desk but there are more changes to be made, the shelf has also gone and the whiteboard is soon to follow. I just don't use the whiteboard anymore due to me using the spare room as an office area now so I am going to replace this with my Demi Lovato poster I think and get rid of some of the bits on the chimney breast. This is a really tight area so I just want to keep it as tidy and have as much free space as possible. 

I don't think Liam is planning on changing much here in his corner but I really want to try convince him to get a lighter coloured desk to fit with the rest of the room and just for him to tidy up this area a bit. Between our desk we have a bit of space too which I would love to have a mini fridge in filled with drinks however, I definitely need to sit and discuss this part with Liam. The remaining walls in this room will be a nice light grey colour so lets hope they can keep them nice and clean too. Our shelves around the top of the wall will be getting painted navy blue to match the feature wall and I am looking forward to how they turn out. These shelves have become a bit cluttered lately so we will be having a bit of a tidy up on those too. The walls are going to have different pictures on that we already have but again I have realised we don't need to fill every inch of those walls anymore. 

We are going to be getting a much comfier sofa bed for in this room so that I can spend longer sitting and playing on the consoles. SO this area at the side of the sofa bed is also going to change just by being tidied up with the soft toys finding other homes and boxes going into storage. I am hoping that this area is just going to be a little spot for our bedding to be in so that I can just reach over and grab it if I am getting a bit colder as I am playing my games. We also have some plastic drawers in the room at the moment filled with stationary, tech accessories and honestly just junk so I want to sort these out and get rid of them from the room and if needed replacing with something a bit nicer. 

Now we are booked in for the room plastering and am currently sorting out someone to come decorate it for us. But for me it is now time for my favourite part, shopping for the room. I am definitely putting a lot more thought into what we buy this time around though so we can have it like that for years to come. So here is what I am on the hunt for... 

TV wall bracket 

Sofa Bed 

TV Unit

Bookcase (s) 

Paint 

Poster Frames 

Any other accessories like cushions, blankets

It is safe to say I have got plenty of ideas in mind for this room and I can't wait to see it all start to come together. With this room being the one we use the most in house it is about time it got the attention it deserved in terms of decorating and I think it is safe to say a lot of the winter is going to be spent hibernating in here when it is complete. Now I just need to start buying bits and pieces for it and get it ready for the work to start. 

Posted by No comments
Labels:

Trying To Get The Workout Motivation Back : My Current Training Plan


 Here we go again, I have once again changed up my training routine to make sure I am getting back on track and making the most of my time. I no longer work with a PT and my days are slowing down a little bit more too which means I can finally try to get back into some routine which I haven't had for a long time now. I am hoping this training plan is going to be something that I can really stick to and is going to help me form a routine that I can stick to and see the benefits of. So here is the plan that is going to be the same week in week out...

Monday
Monday for me is weigh in day and I am going to stick to this weekly so I have a clear indication of my progress rather than checking weekly or every now and then. I am hoping a weekly weigh in on a specific day will show me more progress and also motivate me that bit more. Monday nights are now relatively free other than doing the food shop after work that is why instead of just lounging around I am going to make sure I get in at least 30 minutes of a weights session just to try improve on my strength. I then want to make sure I get another 30 minutes on the exercise bike just to get a bit of a cardio session in. 

Tuesday
Tuesdays are the day where I want to make sure I am getting up nice and early to complete a YouTube workout or a workout on the Nintendo Switch. This could just be another 30 minutes or so before work but again at least it is getting me moving and getting some form of exercise in. On a Tuesday after work I either go to see my grandparents or go to the football so either after my grandparents or before my trip to watch the football I again want to do 30 minutes to an hour on the exercise bike again to make sure I am getting that cardio in. 

Wednesday 
Wednesday's are possibly my favourite day as it is boxing day. It is just an hours session after work but I feel so good after this. I am aiming to get to as many Wednesday sessions as possible to really help improve my fitness. Again I want to make sure I am also getting in 30 minutes to an hour on the exercise bike in the morning before work as the bike is something I really enjoy. 

Thursday 
Thursday's are going to be very similar to my Tuesday's with them being another early start to fit in another YouTube or Switch workout to really get my day going. On a Thursday evening I really don't have anything planned so that is when I want to spend an hour on the bike whilst either watching some YouTube or TV to get a solid hour of cardio in and really feel the benefit in my legs.

Friday 
Friday is the day where I am planning to have a bit of a lie in for a change so I don't have to rush to get to work. Then on a Friday evening I have an hour playing 5 a side football as often as I possibly can. This is definitely one of the most demanding things of the week so I just block this day out so that football is the only exercise I am doing that day. Once I am home from football it is time for a cold bath followed by trying to fix my legs with the massage gun. 

Saturday 
I like to think of Saturday as a bit of a recovery day especially if I have made it to football the day before. I will be making sure I am up and on the bike for an hour for a steady recovery cardio session to get my legs loosened back up again after football. I am hoping that by doing this my legs will feel a lot fresher than previously and it will just stop any excess aches. Whenever I also get a spare 5 minutes I will be aiming to do another 30 minutes weight session just so that I can have a bit of an extra session working on my strength because it definitely needs to be improved. 

Sunday
Ah Sunday's the day of rest, or at least most people use it as that. I am determined to use my Sunday mornings to get out on a walk that is roughly 5km each morning just to get out in the fresh air and get my steps up. I loved going on walks with Liam earlier on in the year so I am really hoping we can get back into these weekly. After I have got any blogging out of the way or any trip to watch the football I then want to get another 30 minutes to an hour in on the bike just to finish the week off. 

I am really hoping that seeing my weeks mapped out and what I have coming up is going to help me stick to a routine and get back on track like I should have been doing for so long but have definitely neglected. Let's hope I can develop some healthy habits and continue them, maybe having everything written down like this is going to really help motivate me as I can keep records of things I am doing and see what I am completing and what I am missing. Let's really hope this training plan works for me as at the moment nothing seems to be working to gain me some extra motivation. 
Posted by No comments
Labels: ,

You Can't Beat A Gin & Tonic.... Our Gin Collection



A few years ago my auntie and uncle got me to try a gin & tonic and to be honest I am absolutely hooked these days. If I aren't drinking a whisky I am no doubt drinking a gin and tonic these days as there is plenty of variety to suit whatever I fancy that evening. My go to gin's are either something nice and dry or something fruity and I think that is shown very easily throughout our collection. We do have a fair few bottles these days as with me and Liam both enjoying a good gin our families tend to buy us a fair few when it comes to birthdays or Christmas presents. So here is what we currently have in our alcohol display cabinet in terms of gin...


We always have a bottle of Gordon's to hand and to be honest it is usually a pink gin which unfortunately we haven't got at the moment but for us Gordon's is just a nice cheap bottle to have in at all times and to be honest it is one we bring out for parties as it doesn't matter if it needs restocking not long after it has been bought due to its cost. 


This Violet gin has barely been touched for some reason but e didn't actually purchase this. My mum bought it to try and didn't like it so she handed it straight to us. I absolutely love violet gins so I don't think this is going to last very long when I finally do start to drink it as it goes down too easily. Again this is a cheaper bottle so it doesn't matter about drinking it too fast as it doesn't break the bank to replace it. 


I will be completely honest here I actually bought this just because of the image on the bottle and because I finished off my uncles bottle of this. I wasn't too sure if I would like this so he let me try what he had left and I absolutely loved it so he went out and got me a bottle of my own which even came with a glass which makes it even better. I can't wait to crack this bottle open. 


Bombay Sapphire was actually the first gin I tried if I remember correctly as it was one of my uncles go to gin's for a long time. This is one I am running very low on as I tend to reach for it more often than any other bottle and again it goes down a bit too easily. It is safe to say this is a bottle I am always going to have in my collection as it is possibly one of my favourites and again can often be found on offer to make it a reasonable price. 


My Grandad has always joked around and called Liam the ginger ninja so when I was struggling to find him a Christmas present and I came across this gin there was no way I was leaving it behind. It was around £40 for this bottle but to us it was worth every penny as we both love it and I think it is another bottle we would happily repurchase. It tastes lovely plus the bottle looks amazing and there is a bit of a funny meaning behind it which makes it even better. 


This gin was actually left behind after a party we had a while back, my auntie and uncle had brought it with them and Liam really took a liking to it so they ended up saying we could have it. To be honest I haven't tried this at all but Liam seemed to really like it and I think I might end up giving it a try for myself soon. 


Our local farm shop were doing these flavoured gins a while back and I got given a pear drops one for Christmas. To be honest I find the pear drop sweets a bit hit and miss but this gin smells absolutely gorgeous so I will be getting straight into this when I have some plain tonic water. This is only a little bottle so I don't think it will be around for too long when I do start drinking it. 


The farm shop were also selling these Bronte gins and Liam's family got me a couple of the smaller bottles for Christmas the other year but I haven't got around to trying them just yet as I don't like having too many bottles open at once. I am looking forward to trying these though as I have been told they are really nice. 


When we were out drinking with my family one day we both ended up falling in love with the Bathtub gin, I aren't sure what made us love it so much but it was absolutely gorgeous and we happily stayed drinking it for a while. Liam's family then got us our own bottle for at home which again we are yet to break into but I am looking forward to starting this bottle. 


Liam got this spiced clementine gin from his family a while back but again we haven't got around to drinking this just yet. I think that I am going to be leaving this bottle for Liam to drink as I aren't really a fan of Spiced Clementine plus I wasn't really a fan of this when I smelt it. I think Liam is going to end up really enjoying this one though. 


Ah our first pink gin on the list and our only one. As I said earlier I really enjoy pink gins but they are really lacking in our collection. This bottle is one of our most recent additions and I am really looking forward to drinking it as it has been a while since I had a pink gin at home and this one smells really nice. 


This gin liqueur was another gift for Liam and it is a chocolate orange shimmer one. We haven't opened this one yet and I am not sure when we will be opening it as we are both a bit weary when it comes to how it is going to taste. We have opened it to smell it and it smells really strong and I just think it is going to be far too  sweet and sickly for my liking. I think Liam might enjoy it in small doses though and if not we will bring it out at parties.  


This is another bottle of gin I am really looking forward to cracking open due to its flavour. I am really looking forward to this as it is blackberry and raspberry and it smells absolutely gorgeous. This bottle was another gift and it ticks all the boxes for me with the flavours. Before we received this bottle I hadn't heard of this one before but I have a funny feeling this is going to be repurchased quite a bit.  


Finally we have my new favourite bottle of gin which I got in the summer and I am so glad we got it as it was perfect for the warm weather. This is the mango and lime gin and it is the perfect flavour combination. I had a fair few of these in the warmer weather and I am sure I will be having a fair few for the remainder of the year too as it is absolutely gorgeous.  This is a limited edition bottle so I am really hoping they do these again in the future otherwise I will have to get stocked up before they do stop selling it. 

If you enjoy a good gin & tonic I would definitely recommend giving a few of these a try if you can especially the Ginger Ninja or Whitley Neill Mango one as they are lovely and refreshing. Keep an eye on the blog as I will be doing a gin wish list in the near future as there is a local shop to me that has some absolutely fantastic gins that I really want to try. Some nights you just can't beat relaxing with a good gin & tonic especially if the weather is a bit warmer, I just need to educate myself on which tonic goes with which gin the best. What is your go to gin & tonic mix? 
Posted by No comments
Labels: ,

The Perfect Autumn Evening

 

It is safe to say that since I have moved into my own home things have changed where as some areas have stayed pretty similar to how they always have been. As I have said plenty of times before autumn is one of my favourite times of the year as it means that my evenings are spent at home doing what I love the most, relaxing and making the most of my hobbies. When the weather warms up my life seems to go crazy however, as the colder weather approaches it really slows down as football matches get called off due to the weather and no one really wants to spend any extra time outdoors. My autumn evenings can go either way really as I will make the most out of watching the TV or playing on my games so here is how the perfect autumn evening tends to look for me these days...

The first version of the perfect autumn evening for me is for after a long day of work when I have little to no motivation left for the day. This is when I just get myself settled down on the sofa for the night and don't move again unless I really need to. It isn't until this year that I have actually started sitting in the living room as before I would just go spend my day in the games room or go lay in bed. However, this year I have started to really enjoy just laying down on the sofa losing track of time. As part of my perfect autumn evening I will get changed into my comfiest lounge wear go back downstairs and light a candle and sometimes the fire, this just makes the room that little bit cosier and the candle or wax melt just makes the room smell nice and autumnal as well. I will then turn the TV on and find something to watch on Disney+ or Netflix. At the moment I land on Disney+ and head straight to Grey's Anatomy to watch as many episodes of that as possible. I always have a drink with me for this too and these days it is either a glass of rose wine or a hot chocolate. I am hoping that this autumn I can mix quite a few film nights into this routine too so I need to get scrolling through Disney + to see what jumps out at me the most. It is nice just having nights like this as it is such a nice change of pace compared to how my summer evenings are. 

Not all evenings are spent on the sofa watching TV though and when I do have that bit more motivation usually on a weekend evening or after work when it hasn't been such a manic day. So here is how those perfect autumn evenings look when I have a bit more motivation...


On these types of evenings I start off again by going and getting changed into my comfiest lounge wear then head down to make myself a drink and take that and a bottle of water back upstairs and into the games room. I then switch on my Baby Yoda wax melt warmer and switch on whichever console I want to play on that day. These days my go to is the PS5 so I will switch that on and some of the RGB lights we have in the room and just game away for hours. When I have had enough with the PS5 I will then jump onto the Xbox to play something different on that console. I can spend hours on end in the games room just jumping on and off different consoles. I absolutely love evenings wrapped up in the games room and with us getting it redone this year I think I am just going to end up spending even more time in there too. I love having more time in autumn to sit and play games and complete a whole lot of my backlog compared to what I do in the warmer weather. I absolutely love gaming evenings and I really do need to have a whole lot more of them. 

So there you go that is what a perfect autumn evening looks like for me, I definitely prefer the gaming evenings over anything else and I think I will be having the most of these this year as I look to complete more games and just relax rather than my life being 100 miles an hour like it has been recently. 

What is your perfect autumn evening like? 

Posted by No comments
Labels:

Footwear Essentials For Autumn


Autumn is the time of year where I have found footwear is a big part of any outfit. Not only could the wrong footwear ruin an outfit that you have spent time planning for but it could also lead to a pair of perfectly good footwear being ruined and ending up with your feet being completely soaked, trust me I have been in that situation a whole lot more than I wish to admit. Plus as I have also learnt the hard way that wearing the wrong type of footwear can also lead to slips especially if you are heading near those wet leaves that are everywhere this time of year. That is why these days I save some footwear just for autumn and here are the footwear choices that I tend to reach for throughout the autumn months... 


White Sneakers 

I love to wear plain white sneakers all year around however, in autumn I like to know I have quite a few pairs to hand that are nice and clean as I have found with the way my style is lately and especially in the autumn months the best footwear option 90% of the time is a nice pair of clean white sneakers. They are weatherproof which is great for where I live and they are comfortable for long days out or if I am going to be on my feet a lot. I just have to make sure they are clean because there is nothing worse than a dirty pair of sneakers in my eyes, it just totally ruins an outfit. My go to pairs are either my Nike Air Force 1's or my River Island ones that have some extra detailing on.


Converse 
As I have said before on other blog posts I went off Converse for a while but now I am definitely getting back into them. I think they give off a great style when paired up with certain items in my wardrobe especially with my jumpers and bomber jackets to give the look a little bit of a varsity look. Converse are what I tend to wear when it is a little bit dryer outside as I am definitely too afraid to ruin them however, with a little bit of Crep Protect they are certainly safe to wear in the wet too. I can't wait to style some outfits based around my Converse over the next few month. 


Vans 
Just like with Converse, Vans are another footwear choice that I opt to wear when it is a bit dryer however, again a bit of Crep Protect should help give these a bit more protection. This is actually my first Autumn with my Vans Old Skool's and I am really looking forward to piecing outfits together based on this footwear as it is just a nice classic silhouette that is smarter than a pair of standard sneakers. I can see these working perfectly with my jeans or checked pants and a number of other items in my wardrobe. 


Chelsea Boots
My go to footwear for when I need to dress a whole lot smarter is definitely Chelsea Boots, I own numerous pairs of these in different colours and materials and they are just a great alternative to sneakers and certainly dress up an outfit a whole lot more. For me the problem with Chelsea boots is the grip they offer however, as I only tend to wear them when it is dry or when I am going to an event I don't really have to worry about it too much. I really would love to wear them a bit more often though. 

Lace Up Boots
Lace up boots are a style of boots that I used to absolutely love however, I just haven't found the perfect pair lately but I am on the lookout. In autumn lace up boots seem to go with everything and can completely alter an outfits overall look to make it look a bit smarter or a bit more casual in my opinion. One of my favourite types of these boots are definitely Dr Martens and I am very tempted to purchase a pair of these for my own wardrobe in the near future as I think they would look great with my jeans and jumpers I reach for the most. 

Wellingtons
Ah a style of footwear I haven't owned since I was a kid up until last year when I finally decided it was time to purchase a pair for any walks I go on, walking to work in the bad weather and going out with my nephew to things like pumpkin picking. I was getting sick of my white sneakers and other footwear getting ruined so I ended up getting a cheap pair from my local Sports Direct and they have been a life saver. I think it is safe to say as I head out on more walks this year this style of footwear is going to be worn much more often and again if I do wear these a fair bit I am tempted to upgrade to a better pair in the near future.

Slippers
How can I write a post about footwear essentials for autumn without including slippers. I live in my slippers during autumn as I can't cope with the cold floor when I am walking round our house and with me spending more time at home during autumn a good pair of slippers is essential for me. I always have them by the door ready to just slip straight on. I tend just to get the £4 ones from Primark which last me a whole year so are definitely a bargain, plus they are nice and comfortable when I am up and down the stairs all the time. 

So there you go those are my go to footwear options for the autumn months, I have found over recent years that footwear really can make or break an outfit so that is now why I spend so much time making sure I get it right. Lets hope that I can pick up some pairs I have missing and upgrade what I currently have very soon so all my outfits look well put together over the next few months, some of these will be great for the winter and during other seasons too so it is a win, win situation really. 

What is your go to footwear for autumn? 

Posted by No comments
Labels:

September 2021 Fitness Update


September ended up turning into a pretty busy month with my birthday, the football and a lot of other bits going on which unfortunately also made my weight loss and fitness journey derail that little bit more. The month really didn't go to plan at all and I am a bit disappointed but at the end of the day I have really enjoyed myself throughout the month so I guess it isn't all too bad. So here is a look at how my goals for September went...

Go boxing at least 3 times in the month 
I actually managed to go to 3 boxing sessions throughout the month and they all went quite well. I am really loving boxing at the moment and it could very easily become one of my favourite things the more that I go. 

 Go to football at least twice 
Unfortunately I only managed to get to one football session for the month but it was definitely a fun one. Fingers crossed I can start going to more very soon though. 

Lose 6lbs 

Well it is safe to say this one definitely didn't happen. I actually put on half of this weight instead of losing it which is definitely annoying. I am hoping that the next time around this is a loss instead of a gain. 

Go for a long walk once a week
Due to getting far too busier and in fact a lot busier than I expected so walks were put on hold. I definitely want to try get on more walks soon though and try schedule them in so I aren't neglecting them anymore. 

Consume less alcohol 
I definitely did this towards the back end of the month but for the first half of the month I definitely continued to go over board as I celebrated my birthday. I am glad I managed to get this back on track as the month went on though. 

Try cook some different healthier meals
I managed to cook quite a bit more than I usually would and it actually enjoyed cooking a lot more than I previously did. I am definitely going to try keep this up. 

Use the exercise bike a whole lot more
Just like with going on walks I didn't have the time to get on the exercise but I have a bit of a plan when it comes to incorporating it into my workouts once more. I am going to start going on it whilst I am watching the TV so that I can get as much use out of it as possible.

      So here is how my weight loss went for September...

Beginning of August weight : 15 stone 8 lb 

End of August weight : 15 stone 10 lb

Total loss for the month : +3 lb

So here are the goals I am making for myself to hopefully smash in October ...

Cook at least 1 new meal 
Go boxing 4 times during the month
Go to football 4 times during the month 
Lose 8lbs 
Try get on more walks 

Once again the month really didn't go to plan however, I am determined that the rest of this year is going to head in the right direction and that I am finally going to start seeing those all important results once again.  The rest of the year is going to be a big step into the right direction for the rest of my weight loss journey. 

Total loss for 2021 : - 0 lb 

Total loss since start of journey : - 6 lb

Posted by No comments
Labels: ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)