How to take care of your inner child

I think the date of this picture is a bit inaccurate,I would have been the world's smallest 7 year old! I think I was about 2 years old,I'm not sure if people can remember back that far (including me),but most people have such fond memories of their childhood.As we grow up,I think we tend to forget the little things that bring us joy.We face difficulties and situations that we are so often oblivious to as children.Adults can over think things,letting the worries of the world rest on their shoulders.I've come up with some tips to help bring us back to those simpler times!

Colour outside the lines

I don't mean just with colouring in either! Children aren't afraid to get things wrong.Try a create something,maybe a sculpture or a lovely cake,if it isn't perfect,does it matter? Remember when you were a child and you make something for someone,and you would be so proud! Bring back that feeling with some creativity.

Take a nap

Obviously only do this one if you can! I don't think the boss would appreciate it.When you have some spare time,get your comfiest blankets and cushions out and have a rest.Not only is this a great way for your body to recharge,studies have shown that they actually increase alertness and make you feel good!

Find joy in the smallest things

Remember watching the raindrops on the window,and seeing which one won the race to the bottom? How about when you would put on your wellies and splash in the puddles? To children,everything is a chance to learn and experience.Do something you love.Go and play with your animals or just doodle in a notebook.It may seem frivolous,but doing these little things can really help you let off steam and see the bigger picture.

Go outside

As a child,the outside was amazing! It could be whatever you wanted it to be,and you could run around for hours,never tiring of energy.Getting outside and reconnecting with the world around you,whether going for a run or just sitting in a park,is a great way to blow out the cobwebs and feel refreshed.

Of course,we all have to return back to adulthood.However,it's a good idea to take the memories and experiences you had as a child, to help you to become a more carefree and happier person!

What do you like to do to take care of your inner child?

Graze Box // March 2014

 When this lovely brown box landed at my front door,I was so excited to take a peek inside.Graze is a snack delivery company that offer a wide range of sweet and savoury treats.They can become fairly expensive, as they are £3.89 each,but different delivery options give you the choice to order fortnightly or push back boxes to another date if you're on holiday.I've ordered from Graze occasionally,but I thought I'd take advantage of their first box free deal,let's see what I've got.

I like that they're in portable little boxes,and I find the portion sizes to be just right.I'm pretty happy with my selection,you can influence what you receive from Graze by going to their website and clicking "love" or "bin" on their snacks.

Smoky Gazpacho dip (with wholemeal crispbread slices)

I've yet to try this,but it sounds really good.I've got more of a sweet tooth,but I think this would be an interesting alternative to crisps.I like the crispbread to dip ratio too,I don't want to end up with the same issue that I had as a kid when I ate Dairylea Dunkers and not have enough dip to go around.

Summer berry flapjacks

I love anything that has oats in it from porridge to Hob Nobs,so this looks perfect for me.It says they contain " berry infused" cranberries which sounds very fancy,I hope that it's a fresh and realistic tasting berry flavour,unlike some flapjacks which can have an artificial taste.

Billionaire's Shortbread

I had this yesterday and it was lovely! It's an interesting mix of milk chocolate,almonds,cranberries and fudge.It kind of reminds me of that "trail mix" that is so popular in America.I also found this pretty filling due to all of the healthy fats in the nuts.

Inspired by Jaffa Cake

I really enjoyed these too,just the right amount of orange flavour made them taste very similar to Jaffa Cakes.The chocolate tastes nice and rich,and I think it's quite good quality.The roasted hazelnuts added good texture and crunch so it felt quite substantial.I wish you could buy big bags of these!

I like that Graze is an informative company.Inside their boxes there is all the information you could want to know about your snacks.Also,they often offer really good discounts and deals that you can pass on to your friends.

I have a friend code that means you can get a Graze box for free! It's KIMW9141E.

Have you tried Graze boxes before? What do you think?

  

Primark & New Look haul

In my previous post,I wrote about how I popped into Exeter yesterday,well this is what I bought!I was pretty impressed with Primark's offerings, there were lots of dresses,which is great for me because I haven't worn a pair of jeans since about 2008! I really admire those girls who wear cute denim shorts and skinny jeans,but they are just not for me.I did find some awesome pieces though!

I had been umming and aahing about this dress for ages,I love the colour and this was the last one in my size,so I thought i'd get it whilst I could.It's perfect for Spring/Summer,but I could also wear it in the Autumn with thick tights and black boots.I think I'm going to get lots of wear out of this.There were lots of other styles on offer and they were all £5,bargain!

This dress really caught me eye! I think it has a touch of Taylor Swift about it,I think I'll try and channel her style by pairing it with some Converse (well, Primark's own Converse.) It's really comfortable and it has sleeves,which is great as you never know what's going to happen with the weather in England.It was reduced to £5 from £8,as were a lot of things,so if you're after some new clothes to update your wardrobe,i'd go soon!

This wasn't from Primark or New Look,but I was so pleased with it that it was definitely worth mentioning! I walked past an "everything £5" clothes shop called Limelite.I debated whether or not to go in because some parts of the shop looked a bit unfinished (maybe they're a new shop?),but I managed to pick up this lovely printed jumper.It's very cosy and feels like it's well made,in Topshop you might pay four times as much for a similar jumper.I'm going to wear it with a little dress and tights for those chilly days.

I've been searching for a travel mug for ages,and this was just what I was looking for! I love everything about it;the polka dots,the cute quote and the gorgeous coral colour.This was £5.99 from New Look,which isn't too bad as it's quite sturdy and should keep my tea nice and warm.

P.S According to their website, if you bring your own mug into Starbucks,they will give you a 25p discount!

I hope you enjoyed my little haul.I was pretty impressed with Primark this time,and I think they're upping their fashion game even more.I do want to branch out a bit more and try shopping around a bit.

What shops would you recommend for cheap-ish and fashion conscious clothing?

Follow me around Exeter!

Today has been a successful day.There was no rain,and Exeter was blissfully quiet.Not to say I don't like crowds,I just like being able to move without being run over by 3 prams and an elderly man.I don't normally go to Exeter,I've always gone to Plymouth,but I fancied a change.People are always telling me how swanky and pretty it is,and I haven't been in years.We got the Park & Ride,which I would recommend as a great way to save money (you park for free and then pay a small bus fare which goes right to the City Centre.)

By the time we got there it was about lunchtime,searching around we saw lots of restaurants like Strada,Carluccios and Ask Italian,but it can get pretty expensive in there.Instead,we decided to head down to Debenhams to their cafe (which is great because I can smell the perfumes on the way!)

I had a Chicken Kebab flatbread which was surprisingly nice.The only experience of kebabs are normally have are of the late night kind! It was also a really reasonable price (£4.99) so I had more money to go shopping! After a sit down admiring the views,I thought I'd go for a wander and take some photos.

If you love history,Exeter is a great place to visit.It has a lot of ruins and old architecture to admire.This used to be an almhouse (a house for the poor) which I believe was built in 1458.It got bombed in 1942 during the war,but It really made me think about what might have happened here.It looks so bleak and ravaged now,but I'm sure it was bustling at one point.

I couldn't leave Exeter without taking a photo of the Cathedral.The carvings are so ornate and beautiful,the size of it really makes you feel small! I thought about going inside but you have to pay £6 per adult which seems quite expensive.Nevertheless,it's a pretty place to visit.Lots of people sit on the green next to it and have picnics in the summer.

This chap caught my eye as I thought he had a look of springtime about him.The flowers add a beautiful pop of colour to an statue I wouldn't normally look at twice.Apparently he was called Richard Hooker,and he was an important priest and theologian in the 16th century,the more you know!

I did actually manage to pick up some bits and bobs,although Primark can always be a bit hit and miss.I didn't spend too much either,which is a bonus! I always go in wanting a specific thing,and then leave with 2 things,none of which I actually went in to get,never mind.I'm going to do a haul tomorrow and show you all of my lovely purchases.

Where do you go when you want to take pretty photos?

My husbands take on Topshop magazine

As I mention in my haul post,I love free magazines.They definitely help to stop the boredom of the train rides (which are not my favourite,rustling crisp packets and sniffly noses,lovely).Flicking through the pages,my husband decided to have a quick look.He is definitely not the most fashion conscious guy in the world,his wardrobe is 90% t shirts and jeans (he would agree with me!) so he found the high fashion pictures a bit unusual.Here is what he had to say about them;

How could some look so grumpy whilst wearing a Unicorn jumper? (I have to question this too!)

  

Why is she wearing a costume in the bath? She's not going swimming.(Was it just me,or when you were a child,did you move the bath water backwards and forwards to make waves? No,just me then!)

She doesn't have a very wide range of expressions.It looks like her head has been Photoshopped onto a different outfit.(If I had to pose like this I'd end up laughing,I think Tyra Banks calls this "smizing!)

What is "Ibiza Grunge"? (To be honest,I don't know myself.When I think of grunge fashion,I think of checkered shirts,boyfriend jeans & Doc Martens,a just rolled out of bed look) 

One thing I have noticed is how so many models have thicker and bushier eyebrows.After spending a lifetime plucking them,I might grown them out a little!

We definitely enlightened each other on our opinions,although I don't think he'll be heading down to the nearest Topshop.It's fine though,he can carry the bags!

Does anyone in your family share your enthusiasm for fashion? 

The best sites for free samples & links

I am addicted to sample sized products,they're great for popping in my bag or in my suitcase when I travel.Luckily, a lot of companies give away sample sizes so that you can try before you buy! If you know where to look you can save quite a bit of money,I haven't had to buy perfume in ages.To save you the hassle I've put together a list of useful sites I like to use to get freebies.

The samples above are ones that I've had for a few months.I've tried everything except Gucci Guilty (you can still get a sample!) but it does look good. The Clipper teabags always come in handy and the Nicki Minaj perfume is gorgeous,very peachy and floral.I love anything from Palmers and their facial scrub is great at brightening my winter skin,the HASK smoothing shine oil is pretty good too and does a wonderful job at taming flyaways (although I don't use too much,live and learn!)

As samples get snatched up pretty quickly,it's always best to check these sites regularly to make sure you're up to date with what they're giving out.The only frustrating thing is they can take up to 6 weeks or longer to turn up,but I guess we can't complain too much.

http://www.latestfreestuff.co.uk/

This site is really easy to use as it's organised into categories and has an App for both iPhone and Android devices.It's updated daily,and offers a wide range of freebies including perfumes,cleaning products and toiletries.They also  run competitions and offer discount vouchers,so there is a lot to be found on this website.

http://www.magicfreebiesuk.co.uk/

Magic Freebies UK is another site I use pretty often.It's tailored for the UK,which is useful because so many times I've seen a wonderful freebie and not been able to get it! They have had quite a lot of media attention for being a trustworthy and helpful site,so I know I'm always getting a good deal.Freebies are pretty varied,and they have an area of "low spend" freebies where you just pay a small fee or P&P.

MoneySavingExpert Freebies Boards

MoneySavingExpert is the holy grail of frugality.This board is full of dedicated posters informing you of the latest freebies.They keep their posts very up to date,so you hopefully you will be in with more of a chance.There is something for everyone here and the community is so lovely,if you have a question,they are more than willing to help you out.

Here are my top freebie picks right now:

Free Boss Jour Pour Femme Perfume

Free honey & lemon drink from FruitBroo

Free BareMinerals Makeunder voucher & foundation sample

These are the 3 main sites that I use,and I must say they are pretty consistent.They have always delivered reasonably quickly and the products are as described.I think that getting freebies is a great way to save a little money,and it does feel nice when the packet comes through the door!

Have you had any success with freebie sites?

A little mini haul

I decided to pop into Plymouth in the hopes of picking up some goodies.There are quite a lot of well stocked charity shops there, as well as every high street shop you could want.It was one of those days where I didn't find much, but I was really happy with what I did pick up.

I always grab the free magazines that Topshop and Boots hand out,they have some great style ideas and they give me something to read whilst I eat lunch.When I can't find any clothes I fancy,I head straight to the accessories,they're a great way to brighten up my outfits without costing too much.

I picked up these really cute socks from Primark for £2. I always end up losing them,but I couldn't pass these up! I love anything to do with Paris and I dreaming of visiting,but until then,I have these.They come in a pack of three,the two others have polka dots and "J'adore" on them.

I can't walk past Topshop without having a quick look.I don't normally buy clothes,as I think they're a little too expensive for me, but I do love their "Freedom" range of jewellery.I was so happy to find a ring to fit me (I have ridiculously small fingers),and it was only £5.I love the pearlescent look of the stone and the ornate detailing really sets it off nicely.

I've been looking for a new book to read recently and this one really stood out to me."A short history of Tractors in Ukrainian" by Marina Lewycka is a comedic novel about families and marriage, which sounds like a nice bit of light reading (despite the title!) I though the little note the previous owner left was so cute,that's something you don't get in Waterstones.I bought this for 25p in my local hospice shop.If anyone lives in or near Plymouth,the City Centre St. Lukes Hospice shop on Cornwall Street is amazing for bargains.Everything is £1 and they sell clothes,books and home-wares,I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking to save money or just love browsing Charity shops like me.

Like I said,this was a pretty small haul,but I'm happy with what I've got and it means I've got more money for next time!

What have you bought recently? I'd love some shopping inspiration.