Snippets.

Hope everyone is having a splendid weekend, It had occurred to me I haven't posted a personal post in quite sometime so I thought I would do a little chatty post to give you an update on our family. 

So where do I start!! So Eli is really enjoying going to preschool 3 days a week and I am really enjoying doing the school run making packed lunches and actually having time to do some housework. Wesley loves having me all to himself for 3 days a week, we take little trips out and about and spend more time playing one to one. He is actually so much calmer and easy going when Eli is at school as he is not having to fight/cause mischief for attention, him being content also means I can whiz through the house work and keep on top of things a lot easier. 

Currently we have poorly boys who are suffering from the stomach flu so we have been taking it easy with lots of sofa days, disney films, floor picnics and activity books. Its horrible seeing your children so sick but thats is one down side to preschool....the germs! 

Other things that are going on right now is us searching for wedding venues and creating budgets! I am really excited to be going to see one of my favourite venues with weekend, we have narrowed it down to two both of which I love. I have a pile of wedding magazines that I have been sifting through over the past weeks getting as many DIY wedding ideas as possible to keep costs down, Pinterest is also a god send when it comes to wedding planning! 

We have finally finished clearing our garden ready to spruce up for the summer so I have been eyeing up plants left right and centre as well as more cacti and succulents for indoors. Currently on my foliage to buy list is an Acer tree for the patio, creating a potted herb garden, lots of lavender and also a Bonsi tree for indoors. 

Thank you for reading.

LouLouLoves.    

Wish List Wedding Edition Part One.

One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine.

I am tempted to start collecting little bits here and there and putting them away for our wedding that we are looking to book imminently. There is so much to remember when it comes to planning a wedding so I thought purchasing things like underwear, my wedding fragrance and and start trying out which make up I am going to purchase would be a good idea as little things like this are easily forgotten. 

Firstly when it comes to cute bridal looking underwear there are two shops which I love and these are Topshop and Beaux Avenue. I would like to get a long line bra and knicker set something comfortable that looks seamless under my dress and I really like this selection from Topshop they also do a matching satin cami and shorts set too which I thought was just adorable. 

My Wedding scent without any doubt is going to be by Jo Malone but choosing which one of their fragrances is going to be difficult as I love them all! I am currently swaying towards Wood Sage and Sea Salt as its such a lovely fresh natural scent which would suit any season, I would also like to buy a matching candle too to burn in our home to remind us of our special day. 

When It comes to make up I am still doing my research, I am planning to go and test a lot of products at beauty counters before I commit to any purchases. For base I am drawn towards either Georgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation, Estee Lauders Double Wear Light or Nars Sheer Glow if anyone has any flawless foundation recommendations which are going to stay put all day with no shine and without ghosting under flash photography please let me know!? 

Other make up I would like to test out is the Bobbi Brown Correcting Concealer for under the eyes, Mac Mineralise Skinfinish Natural, By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Misty Rock and my wedding lipstick has got to be one by Chanel!      

Thank you for reading.

LouLouLoves.

Getting Organised For 2015.

One of my new years resolutions this year was to plan plan plan, to keep organised and efficient making sure that I'm putting my time to good use. Its only when you get your own house and a couple of children you really realised how essential it is to not only plan your days but weeks and months. Work and school schedules, house work, family time, outings and events all need to be kept track of and penciled in and having the right systems and stationary really help keep things in check.

Having a large diary Is a must! 
I found it really difficult this year to find a nice big diary with lots of space to right daily which I liked the design of and didn't cost a fortune. Last year I had a Frankie Magazine Journal which I loved but wanted something a little more affordable and in the end after lots of searching I settled for this diary from Paperchase. The design is very simple, I like the embossed gold front and the fact that its spiral bound means that it can be opened out completely flat making it easier to write in.

This diary is big! And even though it is week to view there is plenty of space in each day for a lot of notes. I like to use the calendar at the beginning of each month to make note of any important events including birthdays and days out this makes it easier to see whats going on that month. I like to plan my weeks out on a Sunday sat on the sofa with a nice big cup of tea. I will write in whats days Eli is at preschool and what days Greig is a work, I write in what days my mum is off making sure I pencil in a visit once a week. Once that is done I write in housework that needs to be done usually whilst Eli is at preschool making sure things like cleaning the windows and oven are not neglected and then also planning activities to do with Wesley and Eli on days I have them both at home. My Diary also have a useful contacts and notes section at the back, In my notes currently is a list of things that I want to complete around the house throughout the year including decorating rooms and sprucing up the garden.   

For when the notes section gets a little too full I like to also keep a notebook for any big events that need planning and this one I am using is also from Paperchase. So this year my notebook is being mainly used for planning our wedding which we are looking to book soon, keeping track of budgets, suppliers quotes and lists of things that need to be bought but it will also come in useful for planning the children's birthday parties and writing Christmas lists.

Other ways of organising your day to day life is by having a handy little to do list pad, this one by Happy Jackson is magnetic and is great for keeping on the fridge. To do list pads are great for writing shopping lists, weekly meal plans and things you need to get done that day.

Lastly a pin board is a great way of making sure those reminders get seen! We have this one in our kitchen which I use to display any of Eli's prechool art work or newsletters, a written weekly meal plan,  any invitations for events or any bills that need to be paid. The kitchen is probably the room we all spend most of our time in as a family so important reminders will definitely get noticed there!

How do you keep your family life organised and chaos free?

Thank you for reading!

LouLouLoves.

Copper Accents from H&M.

I recently placed a little order from H&M home because I absolutely fell in love with their beautiful copper accessories. When I purchased this candle holder and tray I had no idea where they were going to end up in my house, the possibilities where endless! They could have been used in my bathroom along with the copper basket we already have holding our toiletries, In our living room as a lovely contrast the the cool green and grey colours but in the end they were used to spruce up my chest of draws in my bedroom.

The lovely laser cut tray is currently being used to hold a number of perfumes and hand cream or any little bits i use day to day and I think the copper colour looks lovely against the white chest of drawers and the wooden mirror. I think these copper accents on my dresser really give a little something extra to a room which is otherwise very light and simple.

I am also waiting for a copper oval mirror which is also available on H&M right now which will be going up on my bedroom wall to continue tying in the colour theme. Check out other homeware items available from H&M right now in a previous post of mine that can be found here. 

Thank you for reading.

LouLouLoves.

Budget Skin Care Haul.

A few weeks ago I had a little skincare haul after my stash had literally run down to nothing! I am waiting for a Clinique bonus time to purchase a few more of my favourite bits but for now I thought I would give you my first impressions on these more budget options.

Clearly Youthful By Superdrug Exfoliating Cream Cleanser. 
I had heard bloggers rave about Superdrugs own brand skin care and when I saw this cream cleanser for only £3 I thought I would give it a go. This is a two in one product as not only does it cleanse but it also contains chemical acid exfoliants and although this saves time you must be careful not to over exfoliate. When I use this cleanser I do not use any other exfoliating products including masks or other creams that contain chemical exfoliants. The texture of this cream cleanser is nice its quite thick and I like to use it almost like a mask coating my face and leaving for a minute or so before rinsing off. I do find that as soon as I put it on I can really feel a tingling sensations so I wouldn't suggest leaving it on your face too long I can only handle it for a minute tops! If you do not like that tingling sensation or have sensitive skin I would stay clear of this product as the sensation felt a lot more powerful then other exfoliating cleansers I have used such as the Soap and Glory Peaches and Clean. The only thing that really puts me off about this cleanser is that the smell is vial and reminds me of some sort of ointment you would get prescribes and slightly like hair removal cream! Also even though my skin felt soft and clean it did feel a little dry afterwards so it might be a little too stripping for some.....maybe not a cleanser to use on a daily basis but not bad for £3.

Vitamin C Brightening Daily Mirco Polish By Super Facialist. 
When not using an exfoliating cleanser I have really enjoyed using this facial polish. Super Facialist by Una Brennan is stocked in Boots and is slightly more expensive whilst still being drugstore, when I got this it was on offer for £6 but it is still under £10 when full priced. This exfoliator has a very fine grain that is not too harsh on the skin, it has an orange scent which is really invigorating and I find it really brightens up my skin when its looking a tad dull.

Garnier Moisture Match 24H Hydrating Gel.  
I have spoken about this previously when I was sent a tiny sample to try and I still stand by my thoughts that it is an amazing budget dupe for Cliniques Moisture Surge. The texture and look of this gel moisturiser is almost identical, It absorbs into the skin quicker then your average moisturisers although maybe the instant result is not quite as smooth and as soft as the Moisture Surge for the difference in price it is a great budget skin care find. I like to use this as the last step of my evening skin care routine and I find putting this on overnight leaves my skin feeling ultra smooth and plump in the morning. For under £4 this has been a great find!

Thank you for reading.

LouLouLoves.

Family Photo Shoot.

When you are the one that takes the photographs you never end up in the pictures and even though we have tons of family photographs I don't think a single one contain all four of us! So when we booked our holiday to Center Parcs I knew I wanted to book a family photo shoot to finally capture a wall worthy portrait of our family in its entirety. We choose to have our photo shoot in the beautiful woodlands that surround Center Parcs and even though the children were being less then co-operative I love the finally results so much I thought I would share a few with you. I am so happy we now have several pictures of our lovely little family and cant wait to hang one up on the wall.  

Thank you for reading.

LouLouLoves.

Keeping Cosy.

Since we have moved to a bigger house which is more expensive to heat and is less then greatly insulated I have really felt the cold this winter! For the first time ever I have been desperately seeking warm pyjamas, dressing gowns and slippers and luckily at Christmas my prayers were answered.

For Christmas Greig bought me this beautiful dressing gown and I couldn't be any more pleased. It may seem to some like quite a boring practical present but this is just what I needed, I had my eye on the Topshop teddy bear dressing gown but it had all sold out and Greig unexpectedly discovered a bit of a gem of a brand.

This gown is from Oysho which is stocked on ASOS but also has a bigger better range on their website. It is the most beautifully soft and snugly thing I have ever worn....most days I have to force myself out of it sometimes getting dressed then putting it back on over the top of my clothes. This purple toned grey just so happens to be one of my favourite colours and I love the simple white cloud print. It has a belt tie and an extra fluffy fleecey hood, I love slinging it on in the evening whilst drinking tea and catching up on some Netflix, you most probably will see it in my January favourites all the way up to summer!

Another Christmas gift were these cute slippers from John Lewis, they may make me look like and Eskimo but they are the cosiest warmest slippers and also match my dressing gown quite nicely!  

The last way I have been keeping cosy this winter is by adding a little fur. These two faux fur scarves/collars are a lovely way of adding not only warmth but a little something extra to your winter coat. I even wore the grey one as a stole to a winter wedding adding a little glamour to my outfit. The one on the left from New Look is shorter and clips together to look like an attached fur collar where as the right one from Miss Selfridge is more of a scarf and can be wrapped or tied around the neck or left to hang. 

So how have you been keeping cosy this winter?

Thank you for reading.

LouLouLoves.

Spotlight On: Jo Malone.

Jo Malone has been a favourite on this blog ever since its discovery about a year ago now. When it comes to fragrance there is just nothing quite like it and so far I have not come across a single scent that hasn't blown me away. Today I thought I'd share with you my little Jo Malone collection and speak about some of my favourite scents. 

So this is what I own so far from Jo Malone's fragrance collection, my first purchase or rather gift was 'Blackbarry & Bay' which I think is my all time favourite scent. It is rich and juicy scent but not overly sweet and sickly which really can be worn all year around and has great staying power. The scent is reminiscent of rich ripe fruit ready to be harvested with subtle undertone of more earthy herbs.

'Pomegranite Noir' is one that has really grown on me as its a fruity scent like no other! It has a strong smokey and rich scent that just oozes sex and sophistication a perfect winter or evening fragrance.

Lastly 'Lime, Basil and Manderin' is the most unusual yet delightfully exotic fragrance I have ever worn and definitely the most interesting of the bunch. This citrus scent is so fresh and invigorating with the pungent notes of lime and basil extremely prominent it really awakens your senses like no other perfume I have tired.

Other fragrances I have tried and have quickly been added to my wish list are 'Wood Sage & Sea Salt' a fresh scent reminiscent of the British sea side, 'Peony & Blush Suede' a floral fragrance which is lovely for spring/summer and lastly 'Earl Grey & Cucumber' another slightly unusual one that's a complete joy for the senses.  

Lastly I thought I would do a mini review of the Jo Malone Body Creme as I received two miniature sized pots for Christmas in the scents 'English pear & Freesia' and 'Nectarine Blossom & Honey'. 

These two scents are quite neutral and although more subtle then some of the others still have amazing strength and staying power. In fact that was what impressed me the most about these little cremes unlike other moisturisers the scent seemed to last for hours and I could really smell it on myself almost like a perfume. Because of this you do have to be careful with which scent you layer on top but I am imagine because of their more neutral notes these fragrances would work well layered with many other Jo Malone scents.   

Apart from scent these body cremes have a lovely thick whipped consistency which is easily absorbed into the skin and feels very nourishing and luxurious, a lovely treat after a hot bath.

I hope you enjoy Jo Malone as much as I do everything about the brand just exudes quality and luxury even the packaging looks so chic and sophisticated sitting on anyones dressing table. What are some of your favourite fragrances?

Thank you for reading.

LouLouLoves.   

New In At H&M.

The high street shops really seem to have homeware spot on at the moment! The sales are slowly drying up and an influx of fresh new stock is pouring in. One of my favourite places to find trendy homeware accessorises is H&M home....*quietly admits to already waiting on not only one but two orders!

H&M's new homeware stock is just completely my kind of style its rustic, yet simple with hints of texture and pattern. There seems to be a lot of shades of green cropping up in the form of cushions, candles and throws which as you will all probably know is the colour of my living room and I am a little bit obsessed with matching accessories. Also H&M have upped their copper game leading into 2015 if you fell in love with their copper candle holders, trays and baskets last year then you will love this years offerings. One of my favourite pieces is this copper trimmed oval mirror which I may or may not have ordered and is very similar to ones being sold in Oliver Bonas but for half the price.

All of these beautiful accessories would make any house feel a lot more homey and at a very affordable price! Will you be having a splurge?

Thank you for reading.

LouLouLoves.  

Beauty Favourites Of 2014!

Here is the list of what make up products I have been reaching for the most the past year! Although my favourites make have changed a lot recently these were certainly my most used on 2014.

For Primer it has got to be Benefits The Porefessional it works wonders, I tried a few others but always come back to this one.

For Foundation this has 100% got to be Maybeline Super Stay Better Skin as it is by far the best drugstore foundation I have tried and have used it pretty much every day since its discovery.

For A Lighter Coverage Base I have been loving Clinques CC cream and although I'm still not 100% that I have the correct shade for my skin it really evens out skin tone and have a lovely dewy finish.

For Powder the only one I have used this year is the Bourjois Healthy Balance powder which is great at mattifying the skin and setting your make up in place without ever looking cakey giving the skin that lovely airbrushed finish.

For Eyebrows again I have only used one product which is the Benefit Gimme Brow as it gives me the perfect tint and slight definition to my very fair brows whilst being very natural looking.

For Eyeshadow I chose a palette which I just couldn't get enough of this year which is the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. I love the rose gold tones in this palette and the variety of matt and shimmer shades which can create almost any eyeshadow look from a pretty subtle day time look to a full on evening smokey eye.

For Blush.....well this one was very tough....Im a bit of a blush collector and I have several favourites. The one I chose which is the Bourjois Cream Blush In 03 is a lovely muted brown toned pink which works with almost every make up look and is great with a bold lip. This is the only cream blush I own and I find its application so so easy its very hard to overdo.

For Mascara this was a tough one to choose as I have tried several good mascaras this year! I settled on the Barry M Show Girl Mascara as for the price point I think its pretty fantastic. I like how natural this mascara looks whilst boosting the length of your lashes which something that is hard to find.

For Eyeliner there has just been one that has completely revolutionised my eye makeup and that is the L'Oreal Super Slim Liquid Eyeliner. This liquid eyeliner is so so fool proof you can create the thinnest line with ease.

For Lipstick most of the year in especially in the summer I was in love with the new Clinique Matt Beauty Lipstick. A lovely muted pink shade which adds a dash of colour without being too in your face, the formulation is so creamy and comfortable to wear and pretty long lasting.

Lastly....For A Bold Lip at the beginning of Autumn I stumbled across the Mac Lipstick in Craving a creme sheen formula in a lovely deep plum colour which was so suited to the season I just couldn't stop wearing it.


Thank you for reading.

LouLouLoves.

The First Wish List Of 2015!

One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight.

So Its 2015 Christmas and New Year has come and gone so I thought I'd show you what is still on my wish list as we begin a new year. 

Firstly as I mentioned in my previous post I am looking for a rug and a lamp to finally complete our bedroom and I have narrowed it down to this lovely check rug from H&M and this table lamp from The Range. I love how both are very simple and classic which suits our bedroom perfectly, also both are very affordable the lamp is even on sale right now. 

Since Kate Spade finally lunched a UK website I have been dying to have a little spend and the two things that are at the top of my list are these gold glitter Keds which are just plain beautiful so beautiful I would actually consider wearing them under my wedding dress! The other item is lovely trinket dish for 'Odds and ends' which would look right as home on top of my chest of drawers. 

Other home accessories on my first wish list of 2015 include as always one of my all time favourite brands Jo Malone and this time a candle from their Wood Sage & Sea Salt range. A wish list of mine wouldn't be complete without something copper so here we have this round hanging copper mirror from Oliver Bonas....I really don't need any more mirrors but just look how pretty it is! This Modern Life is one of my favourite websites for finding accessories for the boys bedrooms and this wall hanging is so lovely and would look great anywhere in the house.

Lastly a little bit of beauty comes in the shape of this stunning new release from Real Techniques their premium brush collection named 'Bold Metals'. Im a sucker for anything rose gold and these would look amazing on any dressing table, they are a little on the pricer side but the quality apparently is out of this world. 

Thank you for reading.

LouLouLoves. 

Home Accents.

After moving into our new house over 2 months ago now we have finally managed to add a few extra homely touches to the rooms in the shape of accessories, pictures and mirror etc. We still haven't done any proper decorating as there is still a bit of work to do on the house but these recent little additions have really made a huge difference.

I absolutely love my living room, I love how serene and calming it is and in here we have finally bought a little side table which just matches the style and colour scheme perfectly! This is from Next and they also have it in a range of different colours.

Every Christmas we get a real tree and this year we picked the best one which just happened to be the perfect shape and size for our living room. Having the tree up made it feel even more homely and once we took it down today I have been looking for something to put in that corner to fill the space....I think a trip to Ikea might be needed!

















Another little added touch is this Ikea picture ledge we have added above the sofa which makes the world of difference to a white wall and makes your display completely interchangeable. We decided to display some little retro post cards from Paperchase which read the children's initials they are very simple but effective. Also on the shelf is a picture of the boys, my favourite picture of me and Greig and also 3 mini cacti from Ikea.

We were lucky enough to receive these lovely candle holders for Christmas and love there design and pattern. These have found their place on our side table and are lit every evening to make it extra cosy. 

In our kitchen/dining room we have a very large new clock above our kitchen table, it makes such a great feature and was such a bargain at only £30 from Ikea. We also have a pin board which usually hold bills needing paying or reminders of things we need to do or buy which comes in very handy. We are huge tea lovers in this house as you might be able to tell from our huge stash of different teas my favourites being from East Of India Tea and Tea Pigs. I also bought Greig these mugs for Christmas from Gifts & Pieces because I thought they summed him up pretty well.  

In our porch two things have found new homes, a little house box with drawers to keep nicknacks safe and tidy and also a wooden heart plaque reminding us that this is our 'Home Sweet Home'.

Lastly a few little glimpses of our beautiful bedroom, I am really happy with how it is looking finally it is minimal and again calming. I recently rearranged the top of my chest of drawers as it was looking very cluttered, removing my old chunky jewellery box and utilising pretty boxes and packaging that I couldn't bare to throw away. I also rested an old mirror on top even though we already have two large mirrors in the room you can never have to many right? For Christmas Greig bought me the most beautiful Aztec terrarium which is just stunning to look at. It is from The Urban Botanist and I cant wait to fill it with Succulents. 

My collection of Jo Malone goodies also expanded this Christmas....wasn't I a lucky girl! I have to say so far I have not come across a single fragrance I do not like they are so unusual, surprising and so sophisticated with amazing strength and staying power. My favourites being Blackberry & Bay and Pomegranate Noir not to mention Wood Sage & Seasalt may just end up being my wedding fragrance.   

I re-utilised these Wilkinsons Christmas lights which were displayed in my living room by wrapping them around my iron headboard to create a little mood lighting the room was in desperate need of. I love how delicate and minimalist these paper lights look you wouldn't believe they were only £10.  

Our bedroom has mirrors galore which gives it such a light an airy feel with the illusion of much more space then there actually is this extremely large mirror from ikea looks stunning now its finally hung on the wall but would look equally as nice just resting against it, if you didn't have children that is!

All we need now to complete this room is a rug and a lamp and I've had my eye on a few which may pop up in a wish list some time soon!

Thank you for reading.

LouLouLoves.