Hello! It's my birthday on Friday and I've been having a little look online for present ideas (and ideas for things I'd like to buy with any birthday money I get)! So here is a little birthday wishlist!

1 - Kate Spade Watch. I've been keeping an eye out for a nice watch lately. Because my rings are white gold, I want a silver face. This has been pretty difficult to find but this Kate Spade watch is pretty much exactly what I'm after!
2 - Spectrum Brushes. I've had my eye on these brushes forever. They are just so pretty!
3 - Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette. I've got a bit of a thing for eyeshadow at the moment and would love to add this to my collection.
4 - Mac Mineralise Skinfinish in Cheeky Bronze. This looks so pretty. Almost too pretty to use! After getting my make up done at the Mac studio in New York for my wedding, I've started lusting after more Mac products! I'll definitely be adding this to my collection as I'm desperate need of a new bronzer.
5 - Kate Spade Bag. I really need a new bag for work and I'm regretting not getting a Kate Spade whilst in New York. I'd like something like this one!

Our Wedding Day - 20th May 2017, Belvedere Castle, Central Park, NY

WARNING: This post may be very photo heavy!

On 20th May 2017, our wedding day finally arrived!

After 2 whole years of planning, it was finally time to say I do.

Being the control freak that I am, I was determined that nothing would go wrong.

But as everyone had told me, something always does!

We made the decision to flee the country and get married in Central Park, New York.

Planning and paying for a wedding in the UK was getting too stressful and every man and his dog wanted a say in how the day should be.

And let's face it, the photo opportunities!

We headed out to New York on Wednesday 17th May to give us plenty time to get everything organised and deal with last minute admin things out in NY.

You also need to attend the City Clerk's office to get your marriage licence, then wait 24 hours from its issue for your ceremony to take place, so if you plan on having a NY wedding, make sure you get there a few days before!

The first few days we were in NY, it was super hot! Like 32 degrees and baking sunshine! So you can imagine my upset when on the morning of the wedding I woke up and it was raining! Thankfully the rain stayed away for the rest of the day but it remained overcast. This was probably good for my photos because I'm terrible for squinting in sunlight!

Mum and I had booked in to the Mac make up studio on the morning of the wedding so we were up bright and early and on the subway to Lexington Avenue. I honestly spent days in the run up to the wedding looking for MUAs in New York. I just so happened to mention this to a lovely girl on the Chanel counter in Harvey Nichols Edinburgh, when buying foundation and she recommended I try the Mac Studio. They were absolutely amazing on the day. My make up was perfect from morning until I went to bed and everyone commented on how good it was. It even survived the disaster that was yet to come!

After getting ready in the apartment with my family and bridesmaids, the cars arrived to take us to the ceremony. All was going well until we hit a MASSIVE traffic jam in the midtown tunnel. I could see the driver's SatNav was saying we'd get to the venue at 4.05pm. My wedding was meant to be at 3pm! This obviously set me off shouting, crying and panicing! My bridesmaids were having to make a few calls to Mikey in the back of the car and we somehow managed to pull some strings and get the wedding moved to 4.30! It was honestly the most stressful moment of my life. I thought I was going to pass out haha!

We arrived at Central Park and made our way up to Belvedere Castle for the ceremony, which was short and sweet - just how we wanted it!
We were pronounced man & wife to great cheers from our family and friends!

After the ceremony and group photographs, everyone headed down to the Tavern on the Green for a drink whilst our photographer did a shoot with just us. Our photographer was the amazing Ricky at Yodog Media. I found him on Thumbtack - I'd highly recommend him!

We then headed over to Central Park South to Sarabeth's - A celebrity haunt (there were none in on our day though). We had booked the garden room for our event. We had a private bar and our own toilets. The room was perfect for our group size. And oh my word, the food! We got to put together a menu from their event menu and I have to say, we did well. Most people had filet mignon for main and my dad said it was the best steak he's ever had - and he loves his steak!

After many a drink (we had a free bar until 10.30!) we headed to Times Square because I wanted photos on the red steps ha ha! This led to a rendition of Flower of Scotland by the wedding party which was filmed by a lot of tourists! I was secretly quite sad we didn't go viral ha ha! We then moved on to an Irish bar called Playwrights to finish the night!

It really is true what they say. Your wedding is the best day of your life. And to get married in New York made it even more special for us! We had the time of our lives and we'll definitely be going back soon (hopefully for our first anniversary haha)!

Life Lately | I'm back!

Well hello, long time no blog. Actually very long time, no blog.

So what have I been doing for the last 16 months?

Well mostly working and wedding planning and sleeping off stress at weekends!

My job is pretty full on and coupled with wedding planning, I had no time to do the things I used to enjoy.

But I'm back now and ready to give this blog my attention again!

So here is a little round up of what has happened since my last post in May 2016!

In September 2016, we lost our beautiful cat Smudge after a short illness. We are still not 100% sure what happened but we suspect it was a brain tumour. I couldn't bear the thought of him undergoing a post mortem so we'll never be 100% sure. After 13 years of purrs and cuddles, it broke my heart to lose him. I'm ready to get another cat now but we are waiting until we have bought our own place (we live on a busy main road just now so I would be too scared to let a cat out!)

Over the last 14 months, I've been on a fitness & diet campaign (known at the time as the wedding shred!) I've actually got really into my running and I'm planning to start running in proper organised events soon. I joined slimming world and lost a total of 3 stone from March 2016 to May 2017. My diet has been pretty poor since but I've managed to maintain my weight! I'll write a proper post about this soon!

 

Easter weekend was very busy! My hen do was on Easter Saturday. You might not be able to tell from this photo but I was so unwell all weekend. Long story for another post! On Easter Sunday, I finally got to see Ed Sheeran when he played the SSE Hydro in Glasgow. Best gig ever!

On 17th May, we headed to New York!

Oh, and on 20th May, we got married!

I'll do some posts on our wedding day and our time in New York and Mexico soon!

It's true what people say, it really is the best day of your life!

So that's pretty much all I've got to report from the last 14 months! Probably seems like I've not really been up to much ha ha!

But it's good to be back :)

xx

Wedding | Here Comes Bridezilla...

Aloha! I can't quite believe that today marks 1 year since Mikey and I got engaged! It's gone so bloody fast and it feels like we've hardly got anywhere with the wedding planning!

I'm trying not to be a bridezilla. It's not a pretty attitude to have really. But sometimes it feels like no one understands what I/we really want from my/our big day.

We said when we got engaged that we weren't going to rush into the wedding and if we were engaged for 4 years then it didn't matter! However, I soon started buying wedding magazine after wedding magazine and the date was about to be set as October 2017. We started looking at venues and that's when people really started sticking their oars in. 

I wanted a nice, small DIY wedding which would (hopefully) allow us to cut some costs. I was going to bake our wedding cake and put my new stand mixer to good use! It was all going to be great. Until people started saying 'oh no, I don't like that venue', 'oh you can't possibly do a DIY wedding' etc etc etc.

So I threw a major bridezilla tantrum and told everyone we were eloping and they weren't invited.

It started out as a bit of a joke, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted it.

And that's when Mikey suggested New York.

So on 20th May 2017 we will be getting married, on the terrace at Belvedere Castle, Central Park, NYC.

We've decided against going solo though and we will be inviting close family and friends and then having a big party back here a few weeks later for those who can't make it.

Now I just need to keep the bridezilla at bay whilst I deal with all the other planning details!

There's really not enough hours in the day!

Judging by how fast the last year has gone, I'm sure our wedding will be here in no time at all!

xxx

Food | Topolabamba

Aloha! Anyone that knows me at all knows that I absolutely LOVE Mexican food (& Drink), so when my other half mentioned he had walked past a Mexican restaurant in Glasgow that we hadn't yet tried, I had to go check it out!

Topolabamba is located at 89 Vincent Street in Glasgow City Centre, just a stones throw away from Central Station & the main shopping area. Their menu is a mix of classic Mexican dishes and street food (think Mexican tapas). The restaurant is really well decorated and had a great atmosphere (we visited on a busy bank holiday Monday!)

We opted for the express lunch menu. You pick one thing from each column for only £9.95 per person! Pretty good deal if you ask me! I didn't take pictures of all the food because I was so hungry and excited to eat it, but I went for Chicken Tinga Tacos, the Barbacoa Beef Quesadillas and the salt & chilli fries! Mikey had the Chorizo Taquitos, the Barbacoa Tortas (Which was huge btw!) and the rice!

And to drink? Well it had to be a beergarita! I've not found anywhere since being in Mexico that serves these so I was so excited to finally have them back in my life! If I closed my eyes, it was almost like being back at the beach, dipping my toes in the Caribbean sea (ahhh, bliss). 

We both absolutely loved our meal at Topolabama and we will definitely be back soon!

And Edinburgh people, don't worry, Topolabamba is opening an Edinburgh restaurant very, very soon!

xxx

Fashion | Primark Haul

Aloha! I'm back again with another little Primark Haul! I had a cheeky little bonus in my pay packet this month so I decided to treat myself to some new things!

Here is what I bought!

Workout Vests - £3 each

Sports Bra - £3.50

Sports Socks - £2.50 for a 3 pack

As I've mentioned before, I've been going to the gym in an attempt to get in shape for my wedding! I was pleased when I saw that Primark had some offers on their workout clothes! I picked this lovely orange colour as it goes with my new balance trainers that I bought recently! And the black top will make me look slim right?

Cardigan - £6

Blouse - £5.50

It wouldn't be a trip to Primark without me buying a black cardigan! I go through them like nothing on earth! I also spotted this nice black blouse. I was drawn to it because of the unusual gold chain detail on the front. 

Pop-up Storage Bin - £3

Invisible Footies - £2.50 for 5

Bum & Tum Shaper Tights - £3.50

Lace Boxer Briefs - £1 each

Hair Ties - £1

I bought this storage bin to replace my old laundry bin which is falling to bits! I liked the pattern on this and my utility room is black and white so it will go well with it!

These tights are just the best! I've had them before but all my other pairs now have holes in them so it was time for a replacement packet! I like these because I don't have to spend the whole day pulling them up!

I'm sure no one really wants to see what pants I bought but T

these were reduced to £1 each! I'm going to have a proper clear out of my underwear drawer now that I've purchased quite a few new pants recently!

And of course, it wouldn't be a trip to Primark without coming out with socks and hair ties! (even if you don't need them)

I also bought a special little something whilst I was in Primark, but I'll save that for another post!

Primark have some lovely products in just now! I'm gutted I'm not going on holiday this year so I can buy lots of pretty new summer clothes!

xxxx

Fashion | Gymwear Haul

Aloha! I recently joined my local gym as part of my attempts to get in shape for my wedding! I know I've got just over a year to go but knowing my track record, it could take a while!

Anyway, I didn't really have much of a gym wardrobe so I decided to have a little spending spree in the hope my gym clothes might make me look like I know what I'm doing ha ha!

So here is what I've bought! 

New Balance 'The Perfect Tank' - £22

I bought this because it matches my new trainers (which you'll see later in this post). It's super soft and comfy to wear when working out!

Adidas Climachill Tank - £9

I bought this from Very but I can't see it on their website anymore! This has climachill technology so it is nice and breathable, and keeps you cool!

Adidas 3 Stripe Leggings - £25

Because you can't beat some adidas leggings for looking great at the gym!

Puma Graphic Sports Bras - £25

These were again from Very but they don't appear to be on the site anymore. 2 sports bras for £25 was a bit of a bargain I thought! They have the same ones but in plain colours here for £38.

USA Pro Skull Leggings - £10

These are unfortunately out of stock everywhere now (I had a hard time getting them).

I saw these on xameliax's snapchat and I had to track a pair down for myself. The sugar skull print gives me the motivation to get in shape for our honeymoon (we're planning to go to Mexico).

Sweatshirt - £5.99

Trainer Socks £2.99

Both of these are from Decathlon. I was in there killing time one evening, whilst waiting for Mikey and decided to have a browse of the running section. I needed a sweatshirt as it's still bloomin freezing in Scotland on an evening! This one was a bargain and keeps me nice and cosy on late evening runs. I also needed new trainer socks so these were an essential!

Sports Bra - £5

This was a Marks & Spencer sale find! It's a little bit tight on me but I'm sure it will fit better once I lose a little bit of weight! For only £5, you can't really go wrong! It definitely keeps my assets in place!

Running Leggings - £11.99

These were a gift from my mum for Easter and are again from Decathlon. She bought this plain white tee to go with them too! These are made of a super super soft material and feel so lovely! 

New Balance Running Shoes - £32

And now for the main event! I couldn't resist buying myself some offensively bright running shoes! I'm keeping these as indoor trainers only because I don't want them to get all dirty haha! These are super cushioned inside and they are so comfy! I wish I had shoes this comfy for everyday wear!

So that's me all kitted out for the gym! Now I just need to find the energy to go! Haha!

xxx

Fashion | Spring Haul

Aloha! It's not often I spend money on clothes these days as the wedding saving is in full force, but I had a little trip to the shops with my mum a few weekends ago so I thought I'd do a little Spring Haul post!

Here is what I bought!

Jumper £12.99 - H&M

Leggings £16 - M&S

I bought these leggings for a work night out and wore them with a cream blouse which worked really well. They are super thick and comfy! I wanted a black jumper to go with them so grabbed this one in H&M. I know it's a bit late to be buying jumpers but I live in Scotland so the chances of us having a summer are slim!

Navy Blouse £5 - Primark

Black Cardigan £5 - Primark

Shoes - £6 - Primark

I bought the blouse as I have 2 navy skirts but nothing to go with them! This works well with them and was in the sale so it's a win, win! 

I always grab a black cardigan when I'm in Primark too as you can never have too many! And when it's in the sale, who can resist!

I just love the gold detailed bow on the shoes too! I needed some new black flats for when it finally gets warm enough to take my ugg boots off!

Blouse £4 - H&M

Dress £20 - Tesco

This blouse was in the H&M sale for the bargain price of £4! I've got the same blouse in like 3 different colours and this one will go really well with another of my navy skirts!

I've had my eye on this dress for weeks. Everytime I went to Tesco I would stand and admire it for ages! One day I finally gave in and bought it and I've not looked back! It's great for both work and weekend wear!

xxx

Lifestyle | Paradise Island Adventure Golf

Aloha! A couple of weeks ago I was invited along to check out Paradise Island Adventure Golf in Livingston! After quite a few weekends of sitting around the house with no plans, I was excited to get out of the house for something a bit different!

Paradise Island Adventure Golf is situated inside the Livingston Designer Outlet, just off J3 of the M8 motorway, and about a 15 minute drive from my house! It is really easy to find and there was plenty of car parking available!

Upon our arrival, we were greeted with a warm smile from the girls on the payment desk who explained a little bit about each course. We were then handed a golf club each and headed onto the first of two 18 hole courses: Barnacle Bay!

Barnacle Bay was a journey from a shipwreck through sea caves to a desert island, with lots of twists and turns along the way! I found this course to be the easier of the two, so perhaps this is the best choice is you have small kiddies in tow (if you are only playing one round of course!)

After conquering Barnacle Bay (I won!), we headed on to the Lost Lagoon! I'd say this course is for the more adventurous mini golfer in you! It certainly tested my skills with its maze of obstacles and uneven terrain through the jungle and the mysterious tomb, before reaching the monkey temple ruins! Mikey beat me on this course, despite me trying to cheat when marking his score card (teehee!)

After trying out both courses, we were both very impressed. It was a busy day at Paradise Island Adventure Golf when we visited (probably due to the cold, damp, typical Scottish weather), but we didn't get held up as both courses flowed well! In fact, we were probably the ones holding people up due to my poor putting skills!

Paradise Island Adventure Golf will definitely bring out your competitive side but it's all in good fun and something everyone can get involved in, no matter your ability or age! And to bring out your competitive side further, at the end of the 18th hole there is the ultimate challenge - the 19th Hole! Here you can attempt to get a hole in one to win yourself a free game pass.

It took us about 2 hours to work our way around both courses and we both really enjoyed ourselves! I'm sure we will be back again soon for a deciding match!

Overall, I'd highly recommend Paradise Island Adventure Golf. It's easily accessible, suitable for all ages, abilities and types of group. And even better, it is reasonably priced! 

If you are looking for something to do with the kids this weekend, or you fancy a change from your regular date night haunts, you really should check out Paradise Island Adventure Golf!

*Disclaimer - I was gifted free tickets to Paradise Island Adventure Golf for the purpose of this review but all opinions and views are my own*

Lifestyle | TheSundayPost - 20th March

Aloha! Happy first day of Spring! Finally, Winter is over!

Here is what I've been up to this week!

1 & 2 - On Tuesday night, the northern lights were visible over Edinburgh! I was at my mum's house for tea so we went out in the car to try and get some good pictures. Unfortunately it was very misty and cloudy but I did manage to get these 2 pictures! I was so excited!

3 - I finally managed to fit back into my tartan pinafore dress! I love this dress but I'd put too much weight on for it. Thanks to my fitness drive lately, I've managed to lose half a stone in 2 weeks and it fits again!

4 - And here is a lovely attractive picture of me after a run. This snapchat filter made me laugh so much. You can add me on snapchat at katiemccann92 for more funny faces and food pictures!

Have a fab week!

xxxx

Lifestyle | Wedding Shred Diary

Aloha! The other week whilst I was munching away on another family sized bag of mini eggs, I realised that it's approaching the one year until my wedding mark and I didn't have long to healthily lose the weight I want to for the big day!

So I decided it was time to start the wedding shred! I stepped on the scales and recorded my starting weight - 13st 9lbs. How on earth did that happen! I've put on almost 1.5 stone since this time last year!! (I blame alcohol, Ice cream and mini eggs!) At only 5ft tall, this weight puts my BMI in a disgustingly unhealthy position so I really need to do something about it!

After 1 week of healthy eating and regular exercise, my weight is now 13st 6lbs! That's a pretty good 3lb loss in the first week! 

I've started off nice and easy with cutting out sugary snacks and introducing a lot more vegetables to bulk out my meals! I'm cutting out bread this week, swapping my lunch time sandwich for a salad! 

I've also been using the my fitness pal app to count my calories, started going for a 20 minute walk around the block on my lunch hour, and we bought a collapsable exercise bike so I can exercise in the house in front of the TV!

Hopefully this week will be just as successful!

xxx

Lifestyle | TheSundayPost - 13th February

Aloha! Sorry I've been rather quiet the last couple of weeks! Last weekend was so busy I just couldn't find the time to write up any posts! Here is what I've been up to for the last 2 weeks!

Last weekend we had an afternoon out in Edinburgh which we hadn't done for ages! It wouldn't be a trip into Edinburgh without a Pinto so we had to stop in there for lunch! I got my usual spicy shredded beef burrito and 2 margaritas! If you've never been to Pinto before you are 100% missing out!

Sunday was Mother's Day so we spent the day visiting both of our mums. We had Chinese takeaway at my mum's house and I got to spend time with my baby Smudge! I'm looking forward to Smudge moving in with me for a month at the end of the year when my family go to Australia! Mikey will be in the spare room ha ha!

This week was very busy at work and was full of meetings for some reason! I've hardly been at my desk! I was off on Friday but we had a department night out so I went into Edinburgh to meet everyone for that! It was actually a really good night! We went to a little cocktail bar which I hadn't been to before where I got this cocktail served in a lightbulb! It was a cross between a whiskey and a margarita and it was really good!

Yesterday we had another date night! We went and played crazy golf (review coming up this week), then went to pizza express for a tasty meal! This honeycomb cream slice was so tasty!

Today is going to be spent cleaning, cooking and catching up on everything I've neglected the last few weeks! 

Have a fab week!

xxxx

Lifestyle | February Favourites

Aloha! It's been a while since I did a monthly favourites post (October to be precise), and I had great intentions of bring it back this year so here is what I have been loving in February! (Let's just pretend I didn't miss January!)

Food: I don't think I'm ever going to get sick of Mexican food! I bought an awesome Mexican and South American cookbook in a bargain bookstore after Christmas and I've been having a great time trying out some of the recipes at weekends.  

TV Show: I've just finished watching season 3 of Orange is the New Black (hurry up season 4!), but apart from that I've also been watching Love & Better Call Saul! Gotta love a Netflix original!

Song: Coldplay - Hymn for the Weekend. 

Beauty Product: At the moment, it's Biore's Charcoal Facial Cleanser. My skin has been really bad lately so it has been helping reduce blemishes and keep my skin soft!

Candle: Yankee Candle Coconut Collection No 6. This one is coconut and pineapple scented and smells just like Malibu and Pineapple. I'm starting to swing towards the summer scents now!

Event: February has been quite quiet but I had a nice night out with the girls from work in the middle of the month. Of course, Valentines Day was also fun! We didn't go out but had a really tasty Chinese takeaway instead!

Now we are into March and the countdown to Summer is on!

xxx

Lifestyle | 20 Random Facts About Me

Aloha! I've seen a couple of these posts going around lately so I thought it would be fun to do a post of my own. So here goes...

1. I've had many career aspirations. I wanted to be an interior designer until I was about 13, I started a journalism degree then I switched to do a Law degree, and now I'm training to be a tax accountant! I doubt I will ever fully make up my mind!

2. I detest raw tomatoes.

3. I'm not a big fan of films. I get bored too easily. There are exceptions to this though!

4. I used to dance competitively (Latin American & Freestyle) until I was 17. I miss it.

5. If I won the lottery, the first thing I'd buy would be a round-the-world holiday. Then I'd buy a house, get married, adopt some cats and dogs and live a comfortable, happy life!

6. The first band I saw live was Boyzone with my mum. I was 10.

7. I don't like the texture of bananas but I love the flavour.

8. I had an imaginary friend as a child. He was called Kenny and according to my mother, I used to talk to him all the time. I don't remember this at all.

9. I've broken 3 bones in my life so far. I broke my pinkie playing netball, my foot after falling down a flight of stairs (I was texting), and one of my toes after slipping at the side of the pool in Mexico and being too vain to just fall in the pool instead of trying to steady myself.

10. My idea of a good night is spending it at home, watching Netflix with Mikey and a beer after eating a tasty home cooked meal (usually something Mexican).
11. Mikey and I have been together for 4 and a half years and we are due to get married in 2017!
12. I am obsessed with buying candles but I've never lit half of them! I'm a strange one!
13. My favourite ever meal is probably fajitas! I love a bit of spice!
14. Talking of spice, I get the hiccups 9 times out of 10 when I eat spicy food. It drives everyone around me insane. Drinking water out the wrong side of the glass is the cure!
15. I can't eat more than 3 potatoes or more than 4 fork fulls of rice or my throat begins to close up! I dunno if it's like a mild allergy or just a strange gag reflex! Either way, it's annoying!
16. Despite being a blogger, I still have a special place in my heart for print media. I still buy magazines every month, usually more than 1 a week!
17. I love to travel. Being in a new place doesn't scare me and I love the challenge of finding my way about. It annoys me that we have we have put all holidays on hold whilst we save for our wedding - but it will be worth it of course!
18. When we go out to a restaurant, I always look at the deserts before the mains. I guess you could say I have a major sweet tooth!
19. I love supermarkets. I have to wander up and down every aisle just in case I miss a bargain or a new product I haven't tried!
20. Mushroom soup makes me feel physically sick. Don't know why. Never tried it, never will.

xxx

Lifestyle | TheSundayPost - 28th February

Aloha! Who can believe we are already heading into the 3rd month of the year?! We will soon be entering the 'less than a year until our wedding' period! February has been a bit of a quiet month. I've been stuck in a bit of a rut of working all week and being so tired by the weekend that I sit on the sofa all weekend in my PJ's!

Here is what I've been up to this week!

1 & 2 - I had Monday off work as I still have a few annual leave days to use before the end of March. I had spent the whole weekend in the house so I decided to get out and go for a walk! I picked a cracking day to do this as the sun was shining. It was still super cold though! I was trying not to fall on the ice whilst taking these pictures!

3 - I bought this cute little jug whilst I was out on Monday. It's obviously not meant for flowers but I think it looks cute! I've got a full haul featuring this jug coming soon!

4 - I couldn't resist these PJ's in Tesco the other night. They were reduced from £16 to £9. I used to have a cat called Puddy after my mum kept saying tweetie bird's 'I tawt I saw a puddy-tat' saying! The name just stuck! Unfortunately he died about 6 months after we took him in (he was a stray that starting living in our greenhouse). We think he may have had cancer and his owners dumped him rather than face the big vet bills to manage his illness. Poor puddy! At least we gave him a comfy, loving home to live out his last 6 months! 

So now we are moving into March, which will hopefully be another good month! Hopefully I'll find the energy to get out the house a bit more as we move into Spring! 

And just incase you missed it, you can find my blog from this week about Yankee Candle for Spring 2016 HERE.

Have a great week!

xxx

Home | Yankee Candle Spring 2016

Aloha! Back in July 2015 I did a post about the 2016 Yankee Candle releases and the first collection, My Serenity, has just hit the shelves in the last few weeks! Of course this meant I had to get my hands on them to try out, so I did just that!

Moonlight - A subtle blend of bamboo, woody notes and bergamot - as intoxicating as moonlight on the water

This is not the type of scent I usually go for as it's quite musky and smells a bit like men's aftershave but it's still quite nice. Not my favourite, but I didn't expect it to be. 

My Serenity - The definition of calm - warm pear and orange mingle with tropical flowers and soft musk

This one surprised me as I thought it was very nice on cold sniff, but it gave me a bit of a headache when it was burning so I had to blow it out! :( 

Lemongrass & Ginger - A fresh, clean mixture of gentle lemongrass and just-cut ginger - pure invigoration

I thought I would hate this one, mainly because I can't stand the smell of ginger, but to my surprise, it's actually my second favourite from this collection. The lemongrass is much more prominent than the ginger so it's smells lovely and fresh - just what you want for Spring!

Peony - The rich scent of Spring's most coveted bloom - the peony - entices with notes of bright sweetness

As expected, Peony is my favourite from this collection! Perfect if you want to pretend you have peonies in your house all year round like me! 

Now to count down until the next collection is released in April!

You can have a sneak peak at what's still to come here! 

xxxx

Lifestyle | TheSundayPost - 21st February

Aloha! Another week has been and gone and here I am sitting typing this post in my PJ's having not left the house all weekend! I am such a lazy bean!

Here's what I've been up to this week!

As usual, the dreaded work! I used a days annual leave on Friday though and I'm also off tomorrow so that's nice! 

On Saturday I was a little bit hungover after spending Friday night round at a friend's house! I decided to light this candle so I could pretend I was on a tropical island! It's part of the Yankee Candle coconut collection and is the Coconut and Pineapple one. It smells just like malibu and pineapple. Yum! 

I cooked up this yummy smoky beef stew on Saturday night! It was a bit of an experiment but it was really tasty! I'll post the recipe here soon!

And on to today. I have done nothing useful today except finally go through all of these wedding magazines and cut out the pictures I like for my wedding scrapbook/moodboards! It's taken me all afternoon! 

And I also cooked this Sunday roast! We haven't had one in ages so I thought it would make a nice change! I slow cooked the chicken and it made such a difference! It was literally falling apart!

And now it's almost time to start a new week! I think tomorrow I'm going to take a wander up into town and see what bargains I can find to treat myself with, as well as buy boring household items we need!

Have a great week!

xxxx