Fave Five: March 2015

It's been a long time since I shared my Fave Five of the month! The main reason for this is a complete lack of time with all the overtime I had done at work over most of both February and March, leaving little time for both shopping for new things to try and to sit down and write about them! I have, however, discovered some new favourites that have been staples for me over the month of March which I can't wait to share!

Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner Pen

To start is a makeup must-have that I can't seem to live a day without! The Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner Pen is a jet-black liner that glides on for the perfect flick or just to add a little definition to your lash line. I had always been a khol eyeliner person and was scared to stray away from what I knew. I first purchased the Collection Extreme 24hr Felt Tip Liner to get some practice in but found it dried up too quickly from my everyday use. I had heard good reviews of the Soap & Glory version, both online and from friends, so decided to purchase it, hoping for the best. I couldn't be more impressed with the quality of this liner, especially considering it's incredible price. The intensity of the colour has not faded in the months I've had it and the nip allows for both thin, subtle liner looks as well as the more dramatic cat flicks. If anyone is looking for an all-day-lasting felt tip liner that also boasts an easy applicator and highstreet price tag, this is definitely the liner to try!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Secondly, another beauty fave, is the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. When this first came out, it seemed to be all everyone was using. I'm quite lazy when it comes to taking off makeup and always reach for my makeup wipes for a quick fix rather than taking the time to use a cleanser. For me, this cleansing water seemed like a perfect compromise, with it's promise to quickly dissolve makeup, aiding my desire for speed, yet the gentle and soothing ingredients not irritating my skin. This water, soaked up on a cotton wool pad, sweeps away your makeup quickly and easily without feeling harsh or heavy on the skin. I have used cleansers before that feel as though your skin is still clogged even after washing your face; I love the fresh feeling this leaves my skin with. The only thing I find tricky with this product is determining how much to apply to a cotton wool pad - too much leaves the water dripping down your face yet, not enough just doesn't work. Apart from this, I would recommend this to anyone trying to break the habit of reaching for makeup wipes in the evening. It's cheap, easy and perfect for all ages and skin types, making sure your skin is cared for after a long day.

The third product to add to this month's Fave Five is a fashion item. For a while now, black jeans have been the staple in my wardrobe that I can't live without. As my Next jeans began to fade in colour and loose their shape, I fled to the highstreet to find a replacement. High-waisted jeans were all over the shops, something I had never considered when first shopping. I tried on a pair from New Look and instantly fell in love with the fit and style. I was apprehensive at first to try this new style because I have a small waist and was scared it would make me look out of proportion. It did the complete opposite, complimenting my waist completely while also making my legs look longer. What's more, it's made me more adventurous with my wardrobe, daring to wear the pretty little crop tops (particularly helpful at the moment as 'crop tops' seem to dominate each and every high street shop!) and tucking in collared shirts for a different look. I can't wait to team these jeans with all my summer tops as the months become warmer!

Maybelline Lash Sensational Lash Multiplying Mascara

The Maybelline Lash Sensational Lash Multiplying Mascara is my forth favourite from March. When it comes to mascara, my ultimate aim is long, fluttery lashes opposed to full and voluminous lashes that most mascara boast to achieve. When this mascara first hit the shelves, it seemed everyone was buying and loving it. The idea sounded really promising, separating your lashes to make them look fuller as well as lusciously long. Since I was given this product to try last month, I have used it every single day in my makeup routine. My preferences lie with plastic applicators anyway but, I love the arched shape of the wand that lifts and grips my lashes perfectly. Honestly, I'm not really sure if the flatter side with shorter bristles of the wand actually does anything for my lashes, so I stick with the long bristles on the other side. I find it does separate my lashes really well and achieves the beautifully long lashes that I desire. The formula is also easily buildable too, without clumping after applying a second coat. If you are after thick lashes with lots of volume, this probably isn't the product for you but, to get the perfect fluttery lashes to compliment any look, I highly recommend you give this a try!

My final favourite is very much linked to the beautiful sunshine that is starting to make an appearance here in the UK. For a week in March, my brother and I took a week off work to relax and take a break from our everyday, busy lives.We decided one day to dust off a map in one of our cupboards and plan a walk. The weather was absolutely perfect and we set out on a 2 hour adventure across the countryside. It was such a change from how we normally spend time together, it gave us a chance to just chat and enjoy each others company. We ended the wonderful walk with lunch at a little cafe, the best conclusion to one of the best days of the year so far! My brother and I get on like a house on fire and we love being able to spend time together on the days when we aren't working. It was so nice to do something out of the ordinary and I know we will both explore further afield on walks together as the months roll from spring into summer.

That's my top five favourites of March! Have you tried any of these products and loved just as much as I have?

- Becca x

P.S. Apologies for the fact this post has only just reached my blog. As my friends returned from University for the Easter Holidays, the days I would spend on my blog were spent meeting up for coffee or shopping with friends I haven't seen for months. With lots of posts and topics planned out, I'll start sorting my schedule out again! 

Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner Pen Carbon Black Extreme - RRP £6.00
Collection Extreme 24hr Felt Tip Liner - RRP £2.99
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - RRP £4.99 (for 400ml)
New Look High-waisted Black Disco Jeans - RRP £19.99
Maybelline Lash Sensational Lash Multiplying Mascara - RRP £7.99

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My Wonderful Christmas

Christmas traditions have been the same in my house for as long as I can remember. Opening stockings, running downstairs to see the presents flooding the bottom of the tree, excitement to give and receive the thoughtful gifts. I woke up this Christmas morning with the same happiness, excitement and gratitude as each year before.   

I had been working full time for almost all the festive period. Seeing customers come and go each day, pleased and excited with their purchases for Christmas, telling me all about who their gifts were for, would brighten even the busiest days. Most people uttered their desire for Christmas to be over as soon as possible but my feelings couldn't be further from that. As busy as it has been, as stressful and tiring, working the festive season kept me buzzing and I'm sure many of you working in retail will admit this too!

My Christmas Day was spent with my Parents, Brother and Nana who came over for Christmas lunch and an afternoon of relaxing. We sat down at the decorated table with colourful paper hats and hungry stomachs to fill with delicious food. My Mum and Dad prepared their first Christmas roast together this year, normally we would visit my Grandparents' houses so it was nice to enjoy it in our dining room for a change. From turkey to roast potatoes, carrots to Yorkshires, it was the perfect meal to fit the festive fever everyone was feeling on this special day. I'm sure you will all agree that nothing beats a Christmas roast!

I have been so lucky this festive period, filled with the love of friends and family. I just wanted to write this little blog post to share the small aspects of the big day that make me so grateful to have such a wonderful family and everything that I enjoyed this Christmas. 

I hope each and every one of you shared an amazing Christmas with your loved ones, took the break you deserved and received presents that made you smile. Merry Christmas! 

- Becca x

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A Day at Weymouth Sea Life Centre

On a recent holiday with my family to the lovely area of Dorset in the South of England, we spent a visit to the Sea Life Centre in Weymouth, home to a range of aquatic animals. I must confess I am a huge animal lover and was more than excited to take a trip here, not only to enjoy the fascinating behaviour of each animal but also to admire the hard work the staff put in to help with the conservation of some species which the world could soon be saying 'goodbye' to.

From otters to eels, sharks to penguins, Weymouth's Sea Life Centre lets you get up close and personal with so many creatures and animals in fun and exciting ways. I had been here before but I was much younger and on my second arrival couldn't really remember any features. What's more, we'd chosen to go during term time which meant we didn't have to push through waves of people to get a glimpse of our favourite animals.

The underwater tunnel is something I had faded memories of and one of the best parts of the whole day. The tunnel allows you to walk underneath a giant tank full of swift sharks, beautiful and colourful fish and gracious sea turtles. It was such an incredible experience to be surrounded by the hundreds of different creatures - it almost felt as if you were in the tank too! Everywhere you looked, there was something interesting to watch. The way the sea turtles bob in the water with such grace or the the way the clusters of fish shimmer in the spotlights. I found it such a calming experience to lose myself in the creatures around me.

Another part of the day that I personally loved was our visit to the penguin habitat. Anyone who knows me knows I'm mad about penguins so I had to restrain from squealing upon arrival. This visit was different to any I had experienced in any zoo though, and in the best way too! The penguins were perched on the rocks right by where we were stood. This meant I could see every tiny detail all over their little faces and bodies. It was also adorable how the Centre had specified which couples were together, referencing the coloured armbands they wore to match them up. I feel like this added a cute and exciting feature to the experience and I could see all the other children matching up the penguins as they watched.

The one thing I can't appreciate enough is all the work that the members of staff at the Sea Life Centre do for the animals in terms of conservation and protection. It's no secret that more and more sea life creatures are becoming endangered due to fishing, poaching and pollution. The ways the staff recognise this and tell visitors of their breeding programmes and conservation schemes boasts the importance of supporting and understanding why and how these are so important. The visit was not only fun and enjoyable, but educational. I learnt surprising facts that definitely changed my perception on the protection and conservation of endangered species. Did you know that less that 10 people are killed by sharks each year, but 100 million sharks are killed by humans each year? Shocking facts like this really made me appreciate the wildlife around me and feel proud to be supporting such a great cause through my visit.

I thoroughly enjoyed my day here and would definitely recommend a visit to anyone and everyone. Whether you're an adult, child, grandparent or family, the experience at the Weymouth Sea Life Centre was so enjoyable and even now I desperately want to go back! There are Sea Life Centres dotted all over the country including London, Blackpool and Brighton so, even if Weymouth is particularly out of reach for you, I'm sure a local Sea Life Centre would be happy to have you. For more details visit: http://www.visitsealife.com/

I took lots of little videos throughout the day and have edited them into a short and sweet video to show some of my favourite parts of the day! Take a look below!

Thank you for reading and maybe I've even encouraged you to visit!

- Becca x

P.S My blogging hat is most definitely back on again! Due to work and the holiday I had away without my laptop, my blog has desperately lacked in posts. I have some exciting ones on the way and am excited to be able to start writing again!

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The Best Summer with The Best People

From picnics to parties, time with family and time with friends (captured in my little edit above!), my summer was packed full of good times and great memories. It's sad to think the majority of my friends are now packing their bags, ready to set off to University; a lot of them are already there too. It didn't quite kick in until our goodbye drinks last Thursday that the next year will be so very different to any before. I definitely welled up giving the final hugs 'goodbye' to friends I wouldn't see for at least a couple of months. I'll try my hardest to visit them all but with my new jobs and busy times approaching, it'll be difficult to squeeze it all in.

I'm feeling quite bitter-sweet. As happy as I am with my summer and as excited as I am for all my friends to start this new chapter in their lives, I feel like I'll miss them even more. Because my life is staying the same, I feel like I'll notice their absence even more. I couldn't possibly ask for a better group of friends though and have made some memories for life over this summer.  

Some of my favourite moments were my Camping Holiday with my best friend Hannah in the New Forest (I've written a blog post all about that here!). It was so nice to escape and have a little adventure with just the two of us, something I really hope to do again soon. I also had so much fun at a 'slip and slide' BBQ with everyone. We covered my friend's trampoline in washing up liquid and water (see the picture at the top left!) and spent an afternoon sliding around and into each other. I completely underestimated how difficult it would be to stand up! What I loved especially about that day was how carefree we were. No thinking about Uni. No thinking about the future. All we did was mess about and have fun, enjoying each others' company and laughing until our stomachs hurt. 

I want to wish all my friends the best of luck at Uni. It'll be crazy and it'll be stressful, but it's all part of life. I can't wait to hear all their stories and, maybe, I'll even have a few of my own to tell them when they get back. Until then, thanks for the best summer guys and here's to the next! 

- Becca x

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Meatball Subs Recipe!

After seeing a picture in a magazine, I was quick to decide that 'Meatball Subs' was definitely something I needed to make - or at least try to! I don't honestly do a lot of cooking apart from the odd easy meal like pasta. My skills mainly lie in the culinary art of microwaving. Yet, I was won over by how tasty these subs looked and, with the help of my Dad, made this delicious dinner!

INGREDIENTS 

• 750g packet of Minced Beef  [*NOTE* This made us 24 meatballs, so 6 each for a family of four. A 500g packet will make around 12 meatballs if you are serving fewer people or want less meatballs for your subs!]
• Jar of Bolognese Sauce [*NOTE* You will not need a whole jar!] 
• Two Small Tiger Baguettes
• Mixed Herbs Seasoning 
• Salt and Pepper Seasoning
• Olive Oil
• Grated Cheese 

Serves: 4

RECIPE

1. Take your Minced Beef out of the packet and put into a large bowl. Separate it using your fingers.

2. Add your preference of mixed herbs, pepper and salt and mix this in using your fingers again. You could also add other ingredients to your meatballs like onion or chilli but we stuck with just simple seasoning on our first attempt! 

3. Make your meatballs by picking up some of the mince and squeezing and compressing it (so that they don't fall apart) before rolling it into little balls. Make sure your balls aren't too big and thick otherwise they may not cook completely through. 

4. Add olive oil to the pan and heat this up. Make sure there is quite a lot of oil in your pan/s, I recommend about 1tbsp. 

5. Once the oil is hot, begin to place your meatballs in the pan. We didn't have enough room in one pan for all the meatballs so had to use two! WARNING: Be careful, the oil does spit! 

6. Once all the meatballs are in the pan/s, turn them over to the other side and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Keep turning the meatballs in this time to ensure all sides that look pink become brown!

7. After the 10 minutes of cooking, add a little of the bolgonese sauce, enough to coat and flavour them all - not the whole jar otherwise the subs will become too soggy. 

8. Allow the meatballs to simmer gently in this sauce for a few minutes. 

9. While the meatballs cook in the sauce, cut your Tiger Baguettes in half widthways so that you have 4 subs. Cut these in half again although not all the way through this time!

10. Turn the heat off the meatballs and begin to load your sub with the balls. You can do this however you want - I chose to line mine up like in the middle picture above! Sprinkle with some grated cheese and you're ready to eat! 

And that's it! Make sure you have a piece of kitchen towel or napkin handy when eating these subs as it can be messy! That's all part of it though and I am so glad we chose to make these and will definitely be trying them again. Although it's not the healthiest recipe on the internet, you can of course substitute some of the ingredients to make it on the healthy side for example using Quorn or other meat alternatives instead of the beef or even just adding vegetables if you want to. I really hope some of you give this a go, it's definitely something I'll take with me to University as an easy and delicious meal as well as continue making it at home with my family!

Bon Appétit!

- Becca x

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