Friday 13 November 2020

December photo challenge

Hey readers, 

Looking for a photo challenge then I have a fantastic photo prompts for 31 days to use during December on Instagram or anywhere else on the internet. Check out the list down below.


1. Green.
2. Out of Focus. 
3. Secret.
4. Candle.
5. Garland.
6. Christmas Tree.
7. Hygge.
8. Glitter.
9. Today's temperature. 
10. Tree Topper. 
11. Something red.
12. Front door.
13. Sparkly.
14. Stockings.
15. Ornaments.
16. Lights.
17. Looking out of the window. 
18. Silhouette.
19. Christmas cards.
20. Hot beverage.
21. Wreath.
22. Favourite quote.
23. Something wrapped.
24. Drink.
25. Christmas dinner.
26. Lazy day.
27. Outdoors.
28. Scalf.
29. Cosy.
30. Throwback.
31. Midnight.

December photo challenge

Cheers for reading X

Wednesday 11 November 2020

The best Christmas jumpers 2020

Hey readers,

Christmas should be fun and what better way than wearing something festive. Christmas jumpers are so popular so I have checked out some of the best Christmas jumpers that I think would bring festive joy to anyone eyes. 

The best Christmas jumpers 2020


The best Christmas jumpers for 2020!


1. Not on the high street -  £38.00.

The best Christmas jumpers 2020

How fun is this colourful statement jumper with the bright red and bold letters? Who doesn't love a good old pun with yule got this?

 You can buy this online at Not on the high street.

2. New Look -  £13.49. 

The best Christmas jumpers 2020

If your feeling confident then you might like this cheeky little number. It is from New Look and it is in the sale, win-win.

3. Peacocks - £16.00.
The best Christmas jumpers 2020

This cosy jumper is from Peacocks. I like the cute penguin and the fun element with the sequined hat. It is another item in a sale so grab a bargain. 

4. Next -  £34.00.

The best Christmas jumpers 2020

I like this jumper because it is something different with the light pink and the tree on the side. 

It looks really good teaming the jumper up with the skirt and boots. You can purchase this jumper from Next.

5. M and M Direct -  £16.00.

The best Christmas jumpers 2020


When checking on M and M direct website this jumper is new in. It looks soft and fluffy with the material. Let's not forget the adorable reindeer in the middle. You can get this jumper from M and M Direct

6. Boden -  £65.00.

The best Christmas jumpers 2020

This super flattering jumper in festive red is to die for. I like the deers on each arm and overall appealing jumper to invest in. You can find this jumper in Boden.

7. I Saw It First -  £30.00.

The best Christmas jumpers 2020

This black jumper with the fun reindeer is a more playful choice if you don't want to take your festive jumper choice too seriously. You can get this jumper from I Saw It First.

Do you like any of these designs for Christmas jumpers? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X












Monday 9 November 2020

Why I don't participate in extreme couponing

Hey readers,


You properly have heard of the American show called Extreme Couponing and the craze is here in the UK. Sadly though there are fewer coupons available here in the UK.

I love saving money, so I researched online about what all this fuzz of extreme couponing is about. 

Since 2008 couponing and finding ways to save money has been a big interest in a lot of peoples life. At the time recession hit hard and people wanted to save money as there was less disposable cash available, especially through loans etc from the bank.

Why I don't participate in extreme couponing

Now there are loads of different ways to save money. A common one is searching and printing coupons, from magazines such as the Tesco Magazine which comes out monthly. 

The other way is to go on to the companies own website and if you sign up to a newsletter it gives you free coupons to print at home, such as Coca Cola or Covent Garden Soup. Next thing you have to do is find the supermarket with the lowest price for that specific product. 

An alternative way to save money is through top cashback sites and SwagBucks.

Then there is the good old yellow sticker hunting where if you got closer to the time the supermarket closes you can be lucky to grab some fab bargains with up to 75% of the original price of the item.

Now I do use some of these methods such as yellow stickers, SwagBucks, Store Rewards which are fab and fairly straight forward to get. Though the only downside with these apps is they take time to build up the reward.

The thing that I can't manage is extreme couponing, where you do the whole signing up to the company and also get a lot of people such as friends or relatives to sign up. Therefore instead of getting one bottle of Coca Cola, you can get four.

Now I am a mum of two young children so don't have a lot of time to faff about and get the permission of others to sign up, hunting for coupons or money back from items etc. 

Most of the stuff I tend not to use so I ask myself do I really need this, nine times out of ten the answer is no. I would much prefer to spend my time doing something a bit more exciting, to be honest with you. 

I think the key thing to be a successful extreme couponer is time to do the research of looking around for the best deal, printing out and travelling.

Now I do use coupons casually for the odd thing here and there but I don't buy multiple items as I do not have space to stockpile (where you buy large amounts of the same product and store them typically in a cupboard). 

Fair play if you do, but if I did have space I can't really be bothered to have to say 15 bottles of strawberry shampoo, 6 bottles of washing up liquid and so forth.

My other problem is that the products tend to be store cupboard or junk food most of the time. You may get the odd offer for yoghurt or Nakd bars but they are few and between.

 As someone on a low income, I need food to feed my family that is reasonably healthy and that I would definitely use.

I believe that nothing is free, there is a cost somewhere down the line. Yes, you can get a coupon but you need paper and ink to print it. 

If you are skint and you can't afford travel, I mean for me to get on the bus it would cost me £3.10 for my child, and £4.00 for me to travel anywhere.

Not to mention the fact that different offers are on at different stores, you have to travel here there and everywhere. Which I don't mind but with two young kids, going on the bus and then shopping is a depressing state of affairs.

I also want to point out that it is better to shop less frequently then go to loads of different places as it saves you in the long run. If you don't shop you will find a solution. Whereas if you are constantly in the supermarket the temptation is there and you just waste money just for the sake of couponing.

A lot of the time the supermarket's own brand is just as good (if not better) then the actually branded stuff, instantly you save a small fortune just by swapping.
Therefore, extreme couponing is not suited for me. 

I  don't knock people for doing it, it is their choice but for me personally, I don't have the time/money/need to warrant the item. That doesn't mean I don't use coupons and they can be beneficial but you have to weigh it up to do I really need this and if so go forth and buy.

What do you think about extreme couponing? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X



Sunday 8 November 2020

My Sunday Photo 08/11/2020

 

fireworks

Friday 6 November 2020

75 catchy blog title templates.

Hey readers, 

Sometimes it is hard to envision a catchy title to grab someone's attention. Sometimes you need a little help and that is what I give you today with 75 generic titles that will stand out from the crowd. I hope you find these helpful for creating blog titles of your own.



  1. What to do with__________
  2. How to tell if_____________
  3. Essentials step to __________
  4. Reasons you don't get
  5. Most popular ways to 
  6. Epic formula to 
  7. Beginners guide to 
  8. Where to find 
  9. Ideas to 
  10. Essential steps to 
  11. Confessions of a
  12. When you feel
  13. Ideas to spark your 
  14. The ultimate sheet on
  15. Resources to help you 
  16. How to get rid of
  17. How to become a 
  18. Tips to rekindle 
  19. Ways to totally change your 
  20. How to unlock your 
  21. [#} Secrets to learning 
  22.  [#] Out of This World ____
  23. [#] Surprising Elements of ____
  24. Stop! The Right ___ Is This!
  25. [#] Shocking Truths about ____
  26. [#] Ridiculous Ways to ____
  27. [#] Steps to Achieve ____
  28. [#] Great Tips for ____
  29. [#] Best Reasons to ____
  30. [#] Kinds of ____
  31. [#] Sensible Tips to ____
  32. How to Build a ____
  33. How You Become _____
  34. Best Tips to Using a ____
  35. If You Love ___, You’ll Love ___ Too
  36. Secrets Nobody Will Tell You about ____
  37. How You Can Unlock Your ____
  38. What Your ____ Says about Your ____
  39. [#] Myths about ___ You Need to Shrug Off
  40. [#] Best Known Ways to ____
  41. [#] Major Benefits of ____
  42. This Is the Smartest Tip Ever about ____
  43. [#] Questions You Need to Ask Before You ____
  44. The Subtle Art of ___
  45. [#] Eye-catching Methods for You to _____
  46. Everything I Learned about ____
  47. How I Turned Out to Become ____
  48. The [#] Tips That Made Me ___
  49. [#] Juicy Tips on How You Can ____
  50. [#] Secrets I Wish I Knew about ____
  51. Give Me [short time period] and I’ll Give You [blank].

  52. ________ on DemandHow to _________ in ____ easy steps

  53. 100% of ______ you need.

  54. What Everybody Ought to Know About [blank]

  55.  Have a [or] Build a [blank] You Can Be Proud Of

  56.  [Do something] like [world-class example]

  57. Now You Can Have [something desirable] [great circumstance]

  58. Here’s a Quick Way to [solve a problem]

  59. Get Rid of [problem] Once and For All

  60. Little Known Ways to [blank]

  61.  Here is a Method That is Helping [blank] to [blank]

  62. The Secret of [blank]

  63. Who Else Wants [blank]?

  64. If You’re [blank], You Can [blank].

  65.  [Blank] Ways to [blank].

  66.  Are You [blank]?

  67. How [blank] Made Me [blank].

  68. Warning: [blank].

  69. Do You Make These Mistakes?

  70. You Don’t Have to Be [something challenging] to be [desired result].

  71. See How Easily You Can [desirable result].

  72.  Do You Recognize the [number] Early Warning Signs of [blank]?

  73. The Lazy [blank’s] Way to [blank].

  74.  If You Don’t [blank] Now, You’ll Hate Yourself Later.

Is there any catchy name titles I have missed but think work really well in grabbing the readers attention? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below.

Cheers for reading X

Wednesday 4 November 2020

Ways to help deal with anxiety

Hey readers,

I have autism and what accompanies that is anxiety. I don’t think you can permanently get rid of it, sadly it interlinks with the condition. That being said you can help reduce the anxiety with finding ways that can help minimise the anxiety.

One of the things that I really struggle with my anxiety is really badly shaking especially with my hands. They literally cannot stop moving, it is normally triggered in social situations. It is hard to hold a cup – and yes I have dropped a fair few in my time.

Therefore, I have spent much time working ways to reduce shaking hands because it really annoys me. I get so frustrated and embarrassed.

ways to help deal with anxiety



The first technique to help reduce shaky hands is to focus on my breathing, keeping my attention on the basic principles with breathing in and out. 

Making sure I am aware of my lungs up and down and making sure that all the thoughts are put aside, even if it is just constantly reminding myself to focus on the breathing. 

At first, it is really hard because it is training your brain to think different but stick with it as it does get easier with practice and time. However, it is a great tool as it gives you time to slow down with your thoughts and think about breathing. This in turns slows down the fight or flight response.

If my anxiety is triggered by having to wait around distraction techniques are really good. For me, this may include writing poetry in a book or colouring in. Both types of distraction help stop me from thinking about the anxiety and feeding into it.

Reducing caffeine can help, as caffeine is a stimulant and can cause an increase in anxiety and heart racing.

Hand stretching has helped with trying to reduce the amount of adrenaline in my hand. Stretching out the fingers and pushing all my energy out. I focus on each finger at a time and notice the reactions that are occurring when doing it. 

This exercise can help once again in slowing down the anxiety and focusing on something other than the intrusive thoughts.

Is there anything that has helped you with anxiety, I would love to hear your thoughts?

Cheers for reading X

The best Christmas food to feast on.

 Hey readers,

Halloween is over! Christmas is fast approaching and that means the festive food is entering the isles and shops across the UK. 

I have picked 9 festive food you can pick up over the festive period to get you in the mood. 




1. Festive Colin the caterpillar - M&S.

Who doesn't love good old Colin the caterpillar, especially as M & S have done a twist with a festive Colin costs 10.00 and is being rolled out on 19th November.



2. Specially Selected Mini Beef Wellingtons - Aldi. 

A great supplement for a buffet is these adorable mini beef wellingtons sold in Aldi. They cost  2.99 and are available in-store from December 10th. The flavour is British beef with a mushroom and thyme duxelle wrapped around puff pastry. 


3. Duluxe mince pie ice cream - Lidl.

If you like the flavour of mince pie ice-cream I recommend checking out Lidl's festive mince pie flavoured ice cream. It is making a return and I did buy some last year and rate it highly. Also, cracking bargain at 1.99 and available now so what you waiting for!



4. The best British turkey cushion - Morrisons. 

If your bit of a traditionalist then Morrisons have your back with this delightful British turkey cushion.

It looks spectacular and sounds amazing with turkey breast with pork and smoked bacon stuffing, wrapped in maple-cured streaky bacon and topped with a sticky maple glaze. It costs 23.00 and you can order from 19th November.


5. Pink rose prawns - Sainsbury's.

If your looking for something a bit special to serve then check out this aesthetically pleasing Taste the Difference pink prawn roses by Sainsbury's. You do have to order these, they cost 8.00 for 20. 


6. Fish and chips cones - Iceland.

A quirky little number from Iceland in the form of mini fish and chips with the icon newspaper cones. Another fab addition to adding to a buffet and something different that you don't expect. 

You can pick up a box of 16 mini fish chunks and chips in November and price is yet to be confirmed.


7. Giant pigs in blankets - Tesco.

If you're a fan of pigs in blankets then you need to check out these impressive giant pigs in blankets by Tesco for 2.00 for a pack of 10. 

Each pork sausage has been seasoned with pepper before being hand wrapped in streaky bacon rashers. You can pick some up from 23rd November.


8. Bruce the brussel sprout cake - Asda.

If you hate Brussel sprouts then maybe Asda has found a solution to making you change your mind with this adorable brussel sprout cake ;)

 The cake has layers of chocolate sponge with a delicious chocolate frosting. The cake cost 10.00 and is available on the 30th of November. 


Is there any festive food you have noticed that I haven't mentioned that you think to look good? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X







Monday 2 November 2020

What I miss about the 90's!

Hey readers,

Remember the decade of the nighties, can't believe it is so long ago but let's take a moment to celebrate some of the gems of the '90s.


1) Being a child and not giving one thought about responsibility or care about the consequences, they were the days when you didn't have to battle your way through as an adult.

Feet, Shoes, Sneakers, Legs

2) Making my own mixtapes with cassettes (yeah them things ;) ) and the real effort of getting the timing right so you get the start and the end of the song.

3) You were less reachable, there was no such thing as social media, well apart from dial-up and that is another story. If you wanted to reach someone you had to call them and that would have to be after six as well.


4) I loved playing Mindsweep, what a simple but addictive game.

5) The time when Freddo's st 10p, shock horror and you could get sweets for 1p.

6) I loved Goosebumps books that I could lose myself in. They were a little dark but that was what was so appealing to me.

7) The best game ever was Sonic The Hedgehog on the Sega Mega Drive.

8) Jim Carey brought out quality films and he was God in the cinema world.

Image result for The Mask

9) Things had more meaning to them as they were harder to get CDs or books. They seemed to hold more value because of the cost and the fact that you had to saves ages to get something. There was less of it making it more appealing and valuable.

10) There was less violence in the news compared to every single day there is some horror story about something or other or maybe because I am rose-tinted glasses on and a little biased.

Cheers for reading X


Sunday 1 November 2020

My Sunday photo 01/11/2020

Friday 30 October 2020

Leading an eco-friendly life in a busy home.

Too busy to think about how to make eco-friendly choices at home? Try these one-step, one-time ideas to live greener, but think a bit less about it.

Leading an eco-friendly life in a busy home.


Leading an eco-friendly life in a busy home.

Modern life certainly comes with its challenges. The climate crisis has thrown another one into the mix, forcing us all to be more aware of what we consume and how we consume it.

 The most simple and cost-efficient way to start living more sustainably is definitely at home. Green living is becoming increasingly important to people across the UK. More and more of us are opting for energy-efficient appliances, environmentally friendly products and low-waste alternatives. 

A lot of households now actively work to lower their carbon footprint and make their way of life that little bit more sustainable. But with the business of life, how can we fit these changes into our daily routines?

How can we be more efficient?

Making your home more sustainable involves making changes that improve the energy efficiency of your property. This means that you waste less energy and save money in the process. 

Sustainable living means you will make the most of the resources you have, reducing your carbon footprint. This can range from the cleaning products you use at home to the energy supplier you choose to power up your home. 

Some of these changes require sustained change, but some are small, one-off things you can do, which will make a big difference. For example, don’t leave the fridge door open, unplug appliances if they are left on standby, and try to purchase as little plastic as possible.

While making these other changes, it might be a good time to switch your energy supplier. If you haven't managed to switch in a while, it's highly likely that you are overpaying for your energy. 

Not only is this a waste of money, but you can also make the switch over to a more green energy supplier with green energy tariffs

A green energy supplier means one that provides tariffs with 100% renewable electricity and aims to offset gas usage by investing in green projects.

 Also, you can switch to a tariff that saves you money, like an Economy 10 tariff for your electricity. This is a one-off task, so once you’ve switched you hopefully won’t have to switch again for a while. 

You can be content with the fact that your energy is coming from more renewable sources. If you lead a particularly busy life, switching suppliers is an easy way to be a lot more eco-friendly at home, without having to put in any hard work.

In short, you want to make sure that your gas and electricity come from renewable sources, rather than fossil fuels that are contributing to climate change. 

You won’t have to feel guilty about the energy you use at home, as you know that you’ll be leading a greener life in your safe haven. You can read more about ways to make your home greener on Ofgem’s handy website.

Go reusable.

Like I said, let’s avoid plastic when and where we can. Stop buying zip-top bags, plastic straws and food in a lot of plastic packaging. Let’s start buying alternatives, like beeswax. 

They last for ages, way longer than plastic, and are far better for the environment. Invest in glass tupperwares so you don’t have to throw away single-use plastic bags and boxes all the time.
 All these things you can do one time so you never have to worry about them again.

Consider composting!

If you like gardening, at least make it efficient! Keeping a compost bin means you won’t have to think about throwing food away, which we all know is really bad. 

Keep a compost bin where you can put peels, coffee grounds and other organic waste. If you don’t have a garden, or enough space to keep a compost bin, then you can always give your compost to public gardens or to friends and neighbours who have the resources.

Save water.

Water is one of our most wasted resources. Think about how many times a day you use water - it’s all the time! 

So let’s start thinking about how much water we use and when. Are you an avid tea drinker? Don’t waste water by filling up the kettle more and more every time you make a cuppa.
 
This also wastes so much energy and you’ll see the consequences on your energy bills. Take shorter showers or buy a low-flow shower head; only use the appropriate amount of water when you are boiling food; don’t overwater your lawn and your plants.

Ready to make all these small changes? Of course, you are! No matter how busy you are with life, work, family and friends, you can transform your eco-lifestyle with just a handful of different, more thoughtful choices. 

Things just got easier if you are struggling to pay for your energy bills.
 
Ofgem has just introduced new regulations for energy suppliers to introduce as of the 15th of December 2020. The new regulation’s purpose is to protect customers who are struggling to keep up with their energy bills. Energy suppliers will be obliged to give more time to customers who are struggling to pay their bills this winter.
 
For those on prepayment meters, more time will be given to top-up and additional credit will be given to those customers who need it. A debt repayment plan will also be introduced for all those that are currently behind on paying their bills. Energy suppliers will also reach out to customers that they deem more vulnerable and aid them in setting up this repayment plan.
 
For more details you can read the full article