Staying Mindful: Have a Stress Free Christmas

I don't know about you but as much as I find this time of year really exciting, it is also overly stressful and manic. Everywhere is busier and nosier, and there is the stress of getting everything chosen, bought and wrapped on time; it all gets a bit much. So below are my tops tips for staying as stress free as possible this season.

Plan Plan Plan

I wrote a whole Planning for Christmas Post here, so I won't ramble on too much about it, but planning is definitely the key to having everything ready on time. From food to presents, a good list and starting early will help to take some of the pressure off.

Cut Down The To-Do-List

Ask 'what happens if this doesn't get done?'. Not essential? Cross it off. Then when you have your pruned list, don't be afraid to delegate. There are usually other members of the family or friends who would love help take the pressure off. 

Shop Smart

Shops get horrendously busy around this time of year, and it's just not fun for anyone. Shopping online can be hassle free and a great way to avoid the rush. Or avoid peak times and weekends. Taking a day off work and shopping midweek is often quieter, but if you can only go at weekends, try being there as the shops open. They will get busier during the day, but you'll get a few hours of peaceful(ish) shopping time. 

Take Some Time Out

A relaxing bath, a long pamper night, an hour with a colouring book or however you like to relax. Taking some regular time out will help to ease the pressure and give you a much needed break. Although it's not long until Christmas, it's not the be all and end all, so remember you have take some time off for yourself too.

I'd love to know if you have any other tips for a stress free holiday season!

Tips For A Gluten-Free Christmas

Good food has got to be one of the best things about Christmas time, from the huge roast to Christmas puddings and Boxing Day left-overs it's always brilliant. But so many 'traditional' Christmas foods contain gluten and, until recently, decent alternatives are few and far between. So I thought I would compile my top tips and recommendations for surviving a gluten-free Christmas.

Weight Loss Progress: changing my relationship with food

This is a very different one for me today, but I recently hit a milestone I am pretty proud of, and I wanted to share my story. Hope you don't mind that it's not as beauty based as normal. 

Taking an Autumn Stroll...

I seriously love Autumn, and having been dragged out on a family walk a couple of weekends ago I thought I would bring my camera and see what happened. These are my first photos of this kind (as in without people/animals or staged at home) so please be nice! But I thought I would share a few with you as something a little different. 

How To: Plan For Christmas

Now I know this post may seem very premature, but the beginning of November is the very latest I begin to think about all these things and get planning. Christmas is my favourite time of year, not that I am overly religious, but I love my family's traditions, having an excuse to catch up with relatives you rarely see and spending time just enjoying each others company. It's always magical. I am sure at some point I will write a very rambley post on all of our seemingly bizarre traditions that mean such a great deal to me as it's my favourite thing to talk about throughout December. But first I thought I would share some of my hints and tips about planning for Christmas.

Boxset Weather

I love this time of year, the cold is always the perfect excuse for curling up with a good boxset and ignoring that ever-growing to-do list. Here is a round-up of the series' I have been loving at the moment.

Friends: Now who doesn't love Friends? It has got to be the best sitcom of all time, big statement I know, but it has truly stood the test of time with younger generations falling in love with it all. Since they removed it from E4 I have watched the boxset all the way through at least twice a year and it just never gets old. I still laugh out loud at Chandler's one-liners and am jealous of Rachel's hair, especially in seasons 5/6.

Life Update

I can't believe that this is my 60th post. I know for many that probably doesn't sound a lot, but just thinking how much my life has changed throughout those 60 posts is incredible. I don't usually make this blog too personal, if anything it is my way of forgetting about everything that is going on in my real life and immersing myself into a world of makeup and skincare and everything beauty related. But I have some very exciting news, and it felt weird to not share it.

Mini Ikea Haul

Last weekend I visited a friend at uni, and we went on a spontaneous Ikea trip to grab her a chest of drawers. On the plus, I am officially a flat-pack furniture wizz. I seem to speak the same language as the questionable diagrams. Anyway I digress, having only been in Ikea once in my life, and that was ages ago, I couldn't help myself and picked up a few homeware bits.

August Favourites

This is a little over-due, but seriously, where did August go?! One day I was sunning myself in July and now it is a rainy afternoon in September. I found it really difficult to chose just beauty favourites this month as I haven't been switching products up much, so there's a few random ones in there too.

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue

It took a while for me to be persuaded to jump on this bandwagon, but after so many positive reviews I couldn't resist, and I am so glad I picked one up. This is such a light-weight dewy product which can be built up when used with a brush, or sheered out with fingers whilst still giving a decent amount of coverage. This is my perfect light base as it packs some serious glow and sticks around all day. Be prepared for a serious rave review coming soon.

19th Birthday Haul

It was my birthday this month, which was so so lovely. I got to spend lots of time with friends and family and just have a nice rest. In fact as this goes live I will be spending the weekend with my Godparents, who do the best BBQ's in the world, eating myself silly and having a good catch up, I can't wait! So I thought I would do a quick run through of the beauty and photography bits I got for my birthday as these are some of my favourite posts to read.

Saving Pennies: Beauty Loyalty Cards

It's my birthday tomorrow! So inevitably I am spending the day shopping and have finally booked myself in for my Mac 90 minute makeover which I got for Christmas. However, currently being broke means I'll have to be a little careful with how much I spend, which got me thinking if I had any points to use to soften the blow to my bank account slightly. So I thought I would talk you through the best in beauty loyalty cards so you can get the most from your money.

Summer Travel Essentials

Sun Care

For me the ultimate most important travel essential when going any where vaguely hot is an SPF because I burn so easily. I don't need to bang on about how important it is, it just is. My favourite is the Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defence SPF50 as it gives me good protection without feeling greasy or heavy on the skin. It doesn't interfere with makeup or leave my skin looking ashy, what's not to like! If you don't burn as easily as me, Soap and Glory Feel Good Factor SPF25 (I believe they have now changed this into a BB cream, but if you can find the original, it's great!) is a lovely alternative so long as it is reapplied throughout the day.

Feeling Foodie: Italian Chicken Bake

Since having to adopt a gluten free diet I have become more and more interested in cooking and decided to share one of my favourite recipes with you. It's a little different from the beauty posts but hopefully it'll give you some inspiration in the kitchen.