Mental Wellbeing

Do you ever have those moments where you sit there and wonder if your brain is turning to mush from all of the monotonous things that we do in our day-to-day life? Scrolling through Instagram, sitting in traffic, binging on the newest season on Netflix. Of course, I use my brain all of the time, but I guess I just don’t feel like I’m learning anything new.  

It was a few months ago when I was reading an article about how changing little habits in your life can really impact your future- I mean things like doing a Sudoku or crossword puzzle every day or reading part of a book before bed and it really had me thinking -what can I do to help me use a little more of my brain and really get more out of our ability?

Just under a month ago, I downloaded the app 'Duolingo' - specially designed to gently introduce you to different languages and help you to understand, learn, speak and write in the chosen language. There are over 20 different languages to choose from and Duolingo will take you from the very basics right through to telling the time, learning different professions and can even teach you how to flirt in the language that you've chosen to learn. It's done in bite-size chunks so that you're kept on your toes and it's very fun, animated and game-y, so you don't feel like it's a chore. 

I chose to do Spanish as I figured that it’s always handy to know, seeing as we love taking random trips to Spain and the Canary Islands and as it's something I've never done before, I really expected to struggle and thought that I would've given up my now. 

You can download the Duolingo app through your Apple app store or the Google play store and if you don't have a compatible device, you can simply use their website; https://www.duolingo.com/.

xxxxxxx

Pretty Pink Party

*Insert obligatory 'sorry for lack of posting' speech here* Kidding. But I really am sorry this time. I've literally just been crazy-busy these last few months and I've been away and working a lot and basically being a social-queen of late (I mean I quadruple-booked myself last Saturday night.. I don't think I even have 4 friends, so who knows how that one happened?!). 

ANYWAY enough rambling, I threw a mini girls party last month to celebrate a big wedding decision with my fave girls and, obviously, the theme was pink so I figured that you might want to see some deets of this? It was totally budget-friendly and a very cute evening was had by all.

Just as a little side-note, I'm not colour blind and I’m totally aware that the table runner is red, not pink, so please no hate (it's a new table and I think I'd cry if I ruined it already).

I put this party together mainly to announce that me & Luke have decided that we are getting married abroad! It makes perfect sense- we live for holidays. The next holiday gets me through the endless weeks of work (even though I definitely love my job) and it's something that we are so passionate about and I really don't see any negatives to this. I also just wanted everyone to get together and get the excitement rumbling!

I chose the pink theme as the boys were going to the pub and it's not very often that all the girls get together, and I just wanted everything to be very girly and pretty and I definitely think that it had the desired effect. The cute, feather string lights set the ambience just nicely, making it look that little bit more chic and I think that the metallic champagne flutes gave it a bit of a high-end vibe. 

Not pictured here is the pizza (uh, no girly night is complete without it), the popcorn and the numerous bottles of wine and frozen cocktails that were chilling in the fridge and the mountain of crisps and sweets that everyone brought with them - they know the way to my heart.

The girls loved it and it's definitely something that I'll be able to do again and again and hopefully have the same enchanting effect each time. 

If you're wondering where anything from the table has come from, I'll be making a list below so you can, of course, check that out.

Table - Ikea, table runner - B&M, cake stand - gift (similar here), napkin holder - Ikea, lamp - Ikea

pink napkins, pink paper plates, pink cups, pink balloons - Tesco party section

pink cake serving knife - Poundland 

plastic 3 litre jug, champagne bottle covers, metallic champagne flutes - Home Bargains

Small, glass serving bowls - Wilko

pink straws, pink cutlery- eBay

All food excluding cookies (Subway) - Asda

What do you think to this? Is it something you'd like to throw yourself? 

xxxxx

New Beauty Favourites

Eucerin Even Brighter Day Cream - So I got this cream (along with the night cream) just recently as I've noticed that my skin is a lot duller than it used to be. I can only put this down to crappy foods, alcohol and late nights- all of which I'm been trying to banish (erm, maybe not banish, but definitely cut down!) but I was after a quick fix to brighten up my appearance as I'm going on holiday soon and will undoubtedly be wearing much less makeup during the day and I really do think that this duo has done the trick. I've been using them morning and evening for about 2 weeks now and my face looks much less red and just generally a lot brighter.

Estee Lauder Sensuous Nude Perfume - I bought this perfume on a whim a few weeks ago and haven't been able to put it down since. I'm really rubbish at describing scents but all I can say is that it's a really subtle, musky, pretty perfume that I can see being my perfect holiday scent this year. It actually smells pretty much like one of the Tom Ford perfumes (although I can't put my finger on which one) and it's so much cheaper, so that's a massive bonus. 

Bondi Sands Everyday Gradual Tanning Milk - I've actually only had this for a week or two now but it's quickly becoming my favourite gradual tanner. It smells divine - really sweet, almost marshmallow-ey and the texture of the 'milk' means that the product glides over your skin and sinks in nicely, not leaving you feeling sticky, but feeling quite moisturising. One layer and you can definitely see that there is a hint of the promised Aussie golden tan there but it's so subtle and natural and I just love it. I use this in-between my usual tanning days to keep everything smooth and even.  

Forever 21 Round Hair Teaser - I'll be honest, I've had this for a while and have just never used it, but I've been finding it really useful recently. Between us, I very rarely brush my hair... I'm talking like once every few weeks. I don't know why, it's just something that I never do - I just run my fingers through my hair and job's a good'un however recently, it's started getting a little knotty and tangled after swimming and showering, so I've been reaching for this. I'm sure you've already guessed, but it's a total dupe for a Tangle Teaser (which I really want!) but it works pretty much the same and I'm sure that it was only a couple of pounds whereas Tangle Teasers can get pretty expensive.

Hair Burst Tablets - I'll keep this short and simple as I really want to do a full post on my hair growth journey, but these are unreal! If you're doubting buying these, like I was, please take the jump and purchase them!

Real Techniques Bold Metals 100 Arched Powder Brush - I love this brush so much for topping up my powder during the day as it's the perfect shape and size to get in all of the contours of your face and not to mention it's the prettiest brush EVER. 

MUA Baked Blush - I don't usually wear blusher but I felt compelled to buy this after the subtle shimmer and gleam caught my eye. It's a beautiful shade of pink - kind of a brown undertone that would suit all kinds of skin tones. It's perfect for those low maintenance kind of days where contouring is too much effort (yeah, I have those days.. like this morning when I slept over my alarm.. for an HOUR) as it gives the definition that you want with the added bonus of a gorgeous highlight. 

Natural Collection & MUA Lip Liners - Finally, some low-budget lip liners that work brilliantly. I use these every morning as a base colour until I decide what lipstick to use (most of the time I'll actually just leave the liner as my chosen lip colour). I'm really happy with both of these brands- the Natural Collection ones are very creamy and totally blendable but don't necessarily last too long and the MUA liners are very handy as they come with a pencil sharpener in the lid and these tend to last a good length of time. Both of them come in under £1.50 each which is literally such a steal and come in such a range of colours.

Palmers Rapid Moisture Spray Lotion - I've wanted a spray moisturiser for a while (since the Vaseline ones came out) and I've finally managed to get hold of one and man, how did I ever use a normal moisturiser? These are just so convenient and quick and this one smells amazing, much like the entire Palmers range. You spray it on but still have to rub it in, but the texture is very different to a normal moisturising cream - it's almost silky. It leaves my skin feeling lovely and soft and I can smell it all day which is definitely a bonus.

Wonderbrow in Brown/Black - I can't stress how much I love this product! It's literally a God-send for people like me who can't leave the house without my eyebrows done. It's basically a very semi-permanent gel/liquid that contains tiny fibres that accentuate hairs to make your brows look fuller and thicker and the product itself is completely waterproof meaning that this can literally last for days. It's a little more expensive than my usual brow products, coming in at £19.95, but it's 100% worth it. 

TRIP TO VERONA - P.S. I'M ENGAGED!

Nope, you're not dreaming- the title definitely does say that I'm engaged and I'm here to tell you all about it!

Ok, so it's always been a little joke between me & Luke that he's not allowed to propose to me until we have been together for at least 5 years.. I saw it on a film or TV programme once and the reason behind it says that you never truly know someone until you have spent 5 years together. I really don't know how true that is, but seeing as we got together when we were so young, a 5-year plan seemed like a good idea.

The short version of my story-book tale is that he whisked me away on a surprise trip to the very romantic city of Verona, Italy a couple of days before our 5-year anniversary. I literally had no idea that he was planning on proposing and still can't really believe it now, but it happened.

The day that it happened, we had decided to spontaneously take a train from Verona to Lake Garda (as we had already spent 2 whole days in Verona- seeing all of the sites and eating & drinking our way around <3). We got the 20 minute train to a little place called Desenzano, Lake Garda and spent a number of hours wandering around the trinket markets, cafes and shops, deciding to stop for pasta and wine (of course!), before jumping back on the train and heading back to beautiful Verona.

We had gotten back to the hotel and got ready for the evening, where we had originally planned to go out for a nice meal (or I had planned that and Luke had his own little plans). We got in the lift, but instead of going down towards reception, we went upwards... Before I knew it, I was sat on a private rooftop, drinking prosecco and taking in the view of Verona from above. It truly was magical. And so that's where it happened.. It was very romantic and very sweet and I definitely had a tear in my eye.

I'll pop a few photos up below just so that you can see how amazing it looks -- if you ever get a chance to go to Verona, please go! 100% my new fave city break.

xxxx

January catch-up

// polaroids from NYE / house party/ Alfie selfies //

// traffic selfie / town selfie / snapchat filter //

// pretty decor / no-brow problems / little Alfie's broken leg //

// night out / snapchat filter / trying out BooTea //

I had an absolute brilliant January (didn't quite stick to my resolutions of 1. no drinking and 2. more blogging, however I did stick to a diet (kind of) and I resisted wasted money on unnecessary purchases so I'd say that it was pretty successful!

February is generally a busy month for me; it's my mum's, my sister's, my nanna's and my cousin's birthday (AND MOST IMPORTANTLY MY BIRTHDAY), it's Valentine's day, Pancake day and I'm going away on holiday, so there are lots of things to keep me busy and I'm SO excited for what's in store.

Follow me on Instagram (@jessiestarbuck) and Snapchat (jessicastarbuck) to see everything that I get up to! 

Obligatory New Year post ft. new name

So it's been a little while since I last even visited my blog, let alone wrote a post & for that, I am sorry. I had such a busy time at the end of last year; travelling, health issues, family time and of course, Christmas. 

I came back on this morning and felt like my blog was in need of some sprucing up. It's something that got a little left behind last year and I didn't feel as though it was a part of me anymore and so that's why the name has been changed and a couple of little aspects have been tweaked. 

Blogging is definitely something that makes me happy and something that I definitely want to pay more attention to this year and so I figured that this is a good start.

In this post, I also want to address what I achieved from last year's list of resolutions.You can find last year's post here. 

From the list, there weren't that many things that I achieved, however I had set other goals to achieve and had other things that I wanted to do (e.g. watch a Panthers game), so I'm not too fussed with my lack of achievements. I did, however, get to travel to 4 different countries- one country I travelled to twice (Dublin) and two of the countries were places that I've never been before (Amsterdam and Berlin). I also went to Brighton for the weekend for a friend's birthday which was actually one of my resolutions for last year, so I'm so happy that I fulfilled that too.

I also tried to learn new skills. Just little things such as baking brownies, cakes, pastries etc, trying new makeup techniques and giving DIY home decor a go. There's nothing major that I feel I adopted, however I'm pretty happy that I gave it a shot. 

The last thing from the list that I'd say that I at least attempted was to use up products that I've already got and to stop wasting money on buying new things. I definitely have used up a lot of the products that I had, but there is still such a long way to go. I genuinely think that my stash will last me until I'm about 30! I will definitely continue this resolution onwards into 2016. 

Read my next post to find out what resolutions I'll be proposing for this coming year!

YANKEE CANDLES; TOP THREE BIG JARS

So as most of you already know, I am completely obsessed with candles. Like, creepily obsessed.

I used to have to buy a new candle whenever I went into a shop that sold them and heaven forbid I'd go to Ikea and only buy one.. Nope, that never happened.

Recently though, I've been really focusing on building a strong Yankee Candle collection. Yes, they're slightly more expensive than your average candle, but the scent pay off that you get from them are unreal. They're like no other candle. If I light a Yankee Candle in my living room, I can smell it up in the bedroom for a good few hours afterwards.

With Yankee Candles, I find that the last an extraordinary amount of time too, so you definitely get your money's worth. Just a few months ago, I finished my first ever Yankee back from my 16th Birthday, so yeah, that's a good 6 years that I had it.

Anyway, today I thought that I'd share my favourite three large jars and then I'll do another post on smaller jars and the tarts at some point.

1. Cotton Candy (aka candy floss)

Wow. This candle smells heavenly! I'm a massive, massive fan of sweet, sickly scents (probably my sweet-tooth showing through) and so this is practically my perfect candle. Once lit, it seems to linger around for a while before getting to it's full potential, but once it's there, it's there for the evening.

2. Cranberry Ice

Not something that I would generally choose for myself.. I didn't even know that cranberry had it's own scent, but once this candle is lit, it's so pretty! It does smell quite fruity (obviously) but is not at all overpowering, which I love.

3. Beach Holiday

So this candle comes under the 'fresh' category and I couldn't agree more. It's refreshing and subtle and leaves my house smelling clean and open. It's an absolutely beautiful candle and I would recommend this if you're stuck for one, or you're not a massive fan of overwhelming candles.

Have you ever tried a Yankee Candle?

xxx