Ideal Home Show at Christmas

A few weeks back I recieved my daily email from groupon which I usually just delete without even reading. However after 100's of emails an offer finally caught my eye. 'Ideal Home Show at Christmas', I simply had to get it. The show ran from 14th-18th November at Earls Court, London. This year I visited the Ideal Home Show for the first time back in March and had a really great day. So the thought of the show mixed with the festive theme makes me very happy, I absolutely love Christmas!
If you buy your tickets from the website then you pay less than if you were to pay on the door. If I hadn't of got the offer from groupon then for my weekday ticket it would have cost £12/16.50. With the fantastic savings from groupon I saved 61%, for two tickets it only cost £12.50 and that included show guides and goody bags.

The show hosts over 600 exhibitors from various different fields including, home, fashion, technology and fashion. They also have 'Celebrity Ambassadors' who make appearances and do some demonstrations. These include the likes of Myleene Klass, Gino D'Acampo and Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen.  There was also a pop-up ice rink this year which is in partnership with ITV's Dancing on Ice, if you wanted a skating session you could pay extra for that. I gave the skating a miss, as my bad leg wouldn't allow it and I cannot skate to save my life. You wouldn't have seen me gliding across the ice like those on Dancing on Ice, I can assure you of that.

After hours off looking around the stalls we decided it was time for a break, we went for a lovely meal in Pizza Express which was a lot quieter and more relaxed than just buying food from a counter. There was also the Gregg Wallace Winter Restaurant, in which you can try a 3 course tasting menu.
We all bought some lovely items from the show, some great Christmas gifts too. The tickets were an absolute bargain and we had a really fab day out. It really gets you in the festive spirit, I can't wait to return next year!
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Dirty Works Foot Scrub & Butter

For the past few weeks i've been using a foot scrub and a foot butter from the Dirty Works range which is available at Sainsbury's. My feet are constantly plagued with rough skin and cracked heels so I have to make sure to take care of them to keep them nicely smooth and soft. I decided to take a dual approach in the hope for gorgeous feet by using two different products from Dirty Works. The first of the two is the Sole Sister Foot Scrub, I use this whilst in the bath by massaging it onto my feet, focusing on the heels and balls of my feet. I also use a pumice stone to help get rid of any rough skin.

Once out of the bath and my feet are dried I use the Best Foot Forward Foot Butter and allow its to fully sink into the skin. If I am doing my feet just before bed then i'll make sure to apply even more of the butter and pop some socks on so that the butter has a chance to really sink in to the skin and work it's magic overnight. By the morning my feet are noticeably softer. It just shows how taking a little time to look after your feet by using two simple products can make a real difference. I now try to use these products 2-3 times a week to maintain smoother and softer feet.

 

The foot scrub is really lovely and has a nice fresh minty scent. The mint helps to cool, soothe and revive tired and aching feet whilst at the same time the scrub smoothes the skin. The foot butter contains one of my favourite ingredients, Shea butter. The gorgeous scent of the butter alongside it's moisturising qualities allow for super soft feet and a salon worthy pedicure at home for a fraction of the price. 

 

Best Foot Forward Foot Butter £2.99
Sole Sister Foot Scrub £2.99

You can also order them online from Sainsburys and get it delivered straight to your door with your groceries.

 

I'm becoming a really big fan of the Dirty Works range, they provide top beauty products at affordable prices, what girl doesn't want to be pampered?

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My Bicester Buys

Earlier in the week I posted about my weekend away in Bicester and I thought I would share with you a few of my purchases that I made.

I bought this lovely scarf from Ted Baker, it's a fairisle print with pink, grey, black and white colours.
it's a cosy knit which will keep my neck warm throughout the winter and with the little prints of reindeers makes it even more fitting in the winter months. The RRP of this scarf was £55 but the outlet price was £30 and with the 10% off I got it for £27. I've never spent so much on a scarf before, but i'm sure it's a worthy investment! This cosy scarf has already been used several times this week as the weather has been rather chilly!

My favourite shop from the village was Cath Kidston. I'm a lover of their products and prints. If I had the money I could have spent hours in the shop buying loads of things. In the end I decided on a bag which i'll be using to transport a few of my crafty bits about. The bag is green with a pink based floral print. The RRP of the bag was £25 but I got it for £14.40.



I done a little bit of christmas shopping whilst I was there too, I went into Links of London to get a couple of charms as gifts for people. I was happy to find they had some really fantastic discounts. The charms I got are normally around £30 each but I got one for £15 and one for £20!

If you like your higher end branded shops yet don't quite have the money to pay full price then I would recommend making your way there for some great discounts. Even when it was busy, there was a very relaxed and spacious feel around the whole outlet village. It'll make a great day out looking round the boutiques, buying some christmas gifts or treating yourself!
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Dirty Works Body Butter

Even though I have lots of unused or half empty bottles of moisturisers and body butters lying around I couldn't stop myself from buying just one more to add to my collection. It's on offer at the moment.. so I had to buy it! The product is Supreme Cream Body Butter by Dirty Works which is available to buy in Sainsbury's. It's a light butter which sinks into the skin well, the only slight negative that it did make my hands feel a little greasy but after a few minutes of allowing the butter to absorb into my skin the greasiness went away. It left my skin feeling smooth and soft with a light sweet scent.

I think I like this body butter so much because it reminds me of The Righteous Butter by Soap & Glory which is my favourite of all time. Both of these body butters have similar scents but I would say the Righteous Butter has more of a powerful scent as well as a thicker butter texture. Within the supreme cream is one of my favourite product ingredients...Shea butter, along with some sweet almond oil it makes for a great product which not only hydrates the skin but leaves it moisturised and feeling soft and smooth.

There is 50% off on a lot of their products at the moment, so get down to Sainsbury's whilst the great offers are on! This body butter usually costs £4.99 but with the 50% off it only cost £2.49. For a 300ml tub of a gorgeous body butter, it's great value for money, even at it's normal price of £4.99 it's a body butter I would buy again.

Why not treat a friend to some gorgeous products from the range for Christmas?
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Frozen Delights

This week whilst I was shopping in M&S I was craving some ice cream, so off I go to the frozen aisle. They have some great offers on at the moment, I bought the strawberry frozen yogurt and the lemon sorbet.

The lemon sorbet was lovely, very refreshing and perfect for a hot summers day. The strawberry frozen yogurt was amazing, it tastes as good as if not better than normal ice cream. The bonus being that it's nowhere near as many calories, so you don't have to feel guilty about tucking into a yummy treat! I added some strawberries and pomegranate to mine, just to make it even more delicious. I actually went back there today to buy some more of the frozen yogurt only to find out it's all sold out. Although I'm not surprised, it's so yummy and on offer, no wonder its so popular. My only recommendation M&S, get making some more and fill up those shelves!

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Supermarket Clothing...



Over the last few years clothing in supermarkets to me has become so much more popular, and has firmly put it's footsteps into the world of fashion. Some of their clothing isn't always to my taste but then it's like that everywhere for everyone I would think. I'm always buying clothing from supermarkets, whether it's a top, shoes, PJ's or even a pair of jeans. All of the clothing is reaonably priced too. It always seems to be the way, if i'm wearing a more expensive top it's never commented on, yet if i'm wearing a top from a supermarket i'll get asked where my top is from. Shows you don't have to spend loads of money on clothes to look good! Here are a few of my latest purchases...

Both of the tops are from George at Asda,



Tribal Print Vest £8

Animal Print Cami Top £12

The shrug is from F&F True at Tesco, perfect to wear with those summery tops.


Black Shrug £10


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Top Summer Scents

Today I thought I would tell you about my 3 top summer scents! Which in fact I love so much, I use them all year round!

Soap and Glory
This one is my most recent fragrance purchase, and what a brilliant purchase it was!
It contains one of my favourite scents, the scent that has made me somewhat addicted to the Soap & Glory range. It's just amazing, and at only £16.50 from Boots it's an absolute bargain.

Chloé, eau de parfum
This has to be one of my favourite fragrances ever, I wear it all year round but I would say it is more of a summery scent. With the main aroma being roses, it makes for a lovely feminine and floral scent. Bottle is starting to run out, will need to make sure I replace it soon, couldn't live without this lovely scent for too long!
£38.50 - £66.50

Lacoste - Touch of Pink, Eau de Toilette
This a a perfume which i've used for years, since my early teens and still love it to this day. As you can see from the bottle just like the Chloé it's running on empty and needs to be replenished very soon!
£39.99



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Super Scrimpers Top 10!

I have never been one for daytime television, mostly because all that is ever on is an antique auction show or a very similiar variation on that theme! Over the past week I have loved watching SuperScrimpers: Waste Not Want Not. At first I thought it was going to be a show about useless tips which you may not ever be able to put into action but I was highly mistaken. Below I have listed my 10 favourite tips from the show and their website, I am yet to try them all but I am working my way through the list!

1. Lime Ice Cubes
Instead of using just one slice of lime and then having to throw the rest away because it's become dried up, Cut the rest of the lime into cubes and freeze. Next time you'd like some lime in your drink, pop a frozen cube in and it not only adds flavour but acts as an ice cube too!

2. Left Over Wine
Similarly to the lime cubes, if you have any left over wine in the bottom of a bottle simply freeze in an ice cube tray and add them to your next meal or gravy. I would recommend adding it to a bolognese!

3. Left Over Milk
If you ever have any milk you are going to chuck out because it's out of date and off. Instead of pouring it down the drain, mix it with some water and use it to feed your plants.

4. Cheap Pot Scourers
All you need is the netted fruit bags which they package oranges and lemons in. Rather than throwing them away simply use them as a pot scourer.

5. Speedy Jacket Potato
After preheating your oven, simply put a metal skewer through the middle of the potato (lengthways), pop it in the oven and it will take half the time to cook!

6. Thick Lashes With Cheap Mascara
Firstly put a coat on of your mascara, then put some talcum powder on your hand and with your finger coat your lashes in the powder. Then put on a second layer of mascara and you will have instantly thicker lashes.

7. Descale The Shower Head
All you need to do is unscrew your shower head, let it soak in vinegar over night. In the morning rinse, re-attach and you have a lovely new shiny shower head.

8. Silver Cleaner
Rather than spending money on expensive silver cleaners and polishes, use a banana skin instead, it works just as well and is a much cheaper way to clean your silver.

9. Bird Scarer
Rather than throwing away the rubbish cd's or dvd's you get inside a paper, thread them onto some string and hang them in your garden. It's a cheap and easy way to hopefully ward off the birds from your garden.

10. Use Up The Space To Save Energy
Always make sure your freezer is full up, if it's not simply fill it with newspaper.
As well as your freezer, when using your oven to save energy always make sure the oven is full. Either batch cook meals in advance, freeze and then heat in the microwave, this will save you having to heat up the oven twice. Or if you don't want to batch cook, simply fill the empty space with roasting dishes/baking sheets/cake tins.

On sunday I am looking forward to watching the Jubilee special, SuperScrimpers Hot Summer Tips on Channel 4 at 8pm.

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Homemade Scented Bags

Today I have been looking up those little scented hanging bags/hearts which you can hang around the house or put into drawers or wardrobes to make them smell nice. I guessed they wouldn't be that cheap but was quite surprised to see some of them costing £10, and that was just for one! Most of them averaged around £7/8 each.

Wanting to save money as everyone does, I decided to make my own. Making them your self can save a lot of money, they'll only cost you a fraction of the price or if you have everything you need already lying around the house somewhere then it will cost you absolutely nothing!

All you need to make them is:
- Old material/bed sheet/flannel
- Fragrance oil
- An old pillow's stuffing.
- Sewing needle
- Sewing thread
- Scissors

To make my first one I used an old flannel, from just one flannel you could make about 3 regular ones or about 5/6 minature ones.

• Firstly I cut a third off of the flannel (or whatever size you'd like but doubled), this should be folded in half. (fold it so that the outside of the material is on the inside, this may not matter depending on what material you are using).
• Secondly you need to put your thread through your needle, remember to tie a not at the end of the thread.
• Now sew the 2 longest sides leaving a gap at the top.
• Once you have an empty pouch, get your pillow stuffing, sprinkle a few drops of your favourite fragrance oil, (I used lavender) then gently stuff it inside your pouch.
• To complete your scented bag, sew together the top of the pouch.
• You now have your completed scented bag, this can be put into drawers or cupboards to make them smell lovely. If you would like to make it a hanging bag, simply use some of the excess material, make a loop and sew it to the top of your bag.

For my first attempt I have just made a simple one using a plain white flannel with blue stitching but there are endless possibilites to what you could make, using coloured materials, stitching buttons on or shaping them as hearts would make very pretty and beautifully smelling hanging decorations for the home. All in all these are a fantastic bargain,cheap, easy and fun to make!
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