July Monthly Favorites

Hello everyone and happy Sunday! 

It's that time again where another month is coming to a close. July came and went so fast, I have no idea where it went! Here are the products that I've picked up and are currently loving for this month. 

River Island aviator sunglasses, £10







I was in desperate need for new sunglasses and I'm so happy I picked up these River Island aviators! I have more of an oval shaped face which tends to make it hard trying to find the right pair. I'm very picky when it comes to sunglasses and these were just the right size, not too big and not too small either. 

Neutrogena facial scrub and mask, £3.69

   I used up my facial cleanser and wanted to try out a brand that I don't normally reach for. I am loving this Neutrogena face scrub and mask duo! It has a lovely cucumber and green tea scent and leaves my skin feeling very clean. My husband is now using it as well and loves it! It has micro clear technology which unclogs pores and penetrates deep down to help clear spots. I have larger pores on my nose and I find that by using the 2 in 1 mask that it helps in reducing them. They both do not contain parabens, which is an added plus. This is a product that I would definitely recommend if you're in the market for a face wash.

Tanya Burr matte nail polish in Piggy Bank, £4.99

   I had never tried a matte nail polish before this one and I fell in love with it. This Tanya Burr Piggy Bank nail polish color is a beautiful nude pink shade that is perfect for everyday wear.  The color applies nicely after one coat, but I prefer using two coats and it dries very quickly.

Tanya Bakes cookbook, around £8.50 

   Another Tanya Burr product that I am loving for this month was her new cookbook called Tanya Bakes. This is my first recipe book that I've got for my collection since moving to England and I can't wait to bake more of the lovely goodies from it. I must say that I was happy that I didn't have to convert the measurements and temperatures from US to the UK anymore! There is every type of dessert listed in here that you could think of from tiramisu (my fav) to making your own pop tarts! This book has inspired me to become a better baker. Keep checking back for photos of yummy goodies to come.......

Wax burners from the U.S. $??

   My mother sent me these from the U.S. as a birthday present and I'm so happy she did. All you need are tealight candles and any variety of wax cubes and you're good to go! The ones I have here are cinnamon & spice, honeysuckle nectar, and butterscotch and maple cream. My favorite is the honeysuckle nectar scent and it leaves the area smelling lovely. Each wax cube can be reused twice so you can get a couple weeks worth out of them. They remind me of Scentsy, which I believe are sold here in the U.K. as well. I am all about making your home smell lovely!

   So there you have it, these are all of my faves for the month of July! I'm very happy with these items and would definitely repurchase them again. If you have any of the same items, let me know what you think about them! Hope you all enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Ashley

Top 5 Travel Destinations

Hello everyone! 

Hope you are all enjoying this gorgeous Thursday, I have been loving this England weather lately and what would be better than talking about vacations?!  I wanted to have a post about my top five destinations that I want to visit within the next couple of years. I love traveling and exploring new cultures and seeing the different ways of life in each country. I don't get the opportunity to travel loads, but being in England you don't have to go very far to reach some pretty fab places. I remember seeing Big Ben and Buckingham palace when I visited London for the first time and it was so surreal. You see things in magazines and on t.v. but you never really picture yourself actually being in that place one day.

Number 5 on my list is a place in the Mediterranean that has a TON of history and would be such an interesting place to explore.... ROME, Italy!  There are so many things to see in Rome: The Colosseum, the Trevi fountain, the Roman forum, Sistine Chapel, etc. I would definitely want to try a pizza because well why not (when in Rome right?!). The Italians seem to know what they're doing when it comes to food. I have always wanted to do a Mediterranean cruise and this would be one of the best stops to explore!

Number 4 on my list is a place that's east of Italy and it looks like heaven. The city is painted in white and is surrounded with beautiful crystal blue water....Mykonos, Greece! This would be such a gorgeous place to go for some r&r! It looks so peaceful and tropical all at the same time. I'm a person that can't tan but burns instead but I would be outside all of the time soaking up the sun here! It would be a perfect place to celebrate a honeymoon and I'll be making sure to tell my husband!

Next up is a country in Northern Africa that has a little bit of everything, beach, desert and really yummy cuisine! Number three on the list is Agadir, Morocco! I had a Moroccan neighbor who was also my friend and ever since hearing about where she was from I was hooked. I had never tried Moroccan food before meeting her but OMG I love all of the flavors and spices they use. It would be amazing to experience the culture there and to explore the markets. The carpets they make there are handmade and are absolutely gorgeous! Even though I haven't visited yet, I recommend going here just to experience the culture!

Number two on the travel countdown is......Edinburgh, Scotland! This city looks so medieval and a little bit on the spooky side that it just wants me to visit that much more! The architecture is incredible and there is plenty of sights to see. Visit the caves under the city, yes please! Scotland has it's own unique flair and I love that! Walk the Royal Mile and visit Edinburgh Castle, I could probably just walk around for hours and enjoy being a tourist. 

Number one on the list has been named the city of love...Paris, France! This is the closest to me out of my top five and if it wasn't for the fact that its not the safest time to visit, I would have already. Paris is only a couple hours away and would be fun to just go on a day trip there. This would be another place where I would most likely be in awe when seeing the famous monuments like the Eiffel tower. Paris has a very romantic vibe about it that makes me want to experience it myself. I've heard the hot chocolate is to die for and I will definitely be visiting a few french cafes for the patisseries! 

Just making this list of my top five places to visit makes me excited! Hopefully I will be able to visit them all very soon. If you have visited any of these places feel free to give me some tips or places I should visit while I'm there! I love seeing and hearing about other people's travels and experiences. 

Ashley

Body Conscious

Happy Saturday everyone!

   Today's post is all about being self confident with whatever body type you may have. Growing up, I was very self conscious about my weight and the fact that I was a little bit bigger than the girls my age hurt my self esteem. I didn't think I was overweight but I considered myself to be (big boned.) I hated my ankles because they were on the bigger side and I always wanted smaller ones. My father would tell me that it just meant that I could run faster. My brother made fun of me saying that I had "cankles". I'm not a big fan of my legs because my calves are muscular instead of slender. Now that I'm older, I have learned to appreciate my imperfections a little bit more, but it's still a daily struggle. We all have things that we don't like about ourselves, but try to outweigh the not so good with the great! I love the fact that I'm not a size 6 and that I have curves (I'm a size 12 for those wondering). I like that I still look younger than what I really am. One of my best features are my eyes, they're big and brown and I love them!

   The media plays a big part in the struggle against what society considers to be the "ideal" body image. Women are constantly judging and comparing themselves to what they see in magazines and on t.v. I think it's sad when people say they want to look like their favorite celebrity instead of recognizing their own beauty and building upon it. 

   We can't help the body that we are born with, but we can improve it and learn to love it. Other people out there are much worse off and are born without limbs, etc, so be thankful for what God gave you. It's not easy and it's something that you have to work at on a daily basis. Why is it harder to compliment yourself than it is to put yourself down? Every morning when you first wake up, take a look in the mirror and tell yourself how good you look without wearing makeup or just simply say something positive about yourself. The more you work at it, the easier it will become to find the compliments. Putting on makeup makes me feel better about how I look most days, but it's also important to appreciate your no makeup face also!

Makeup free!



I'm all about girl empowerment and lifting each other up instead of putting people down. It's not right to judge other people with how they look or what they're wearing. Instead, we should be focusing more on ourselves and what we can do to become better people. With all of the bad going on in the world, why not create more good?  One of my goals is to compliment more people on a daily basis (including myself).  Why not make other people feel good about themselves? If you like someone's shoes or handbag, tell them!

You only have one life to live, so do you really want to spend it putting yourself down? If you can relate to this post, I would love for you to comment and share a pic of you without wearing makeup! Try to make it a point to say one nice thing about yourself or your body on a daily basis to raise your self esteem and to feel better about you! As soon as you know it, you won't be noticing the negative thoughts as much!

Enjoy the weekend!

Ashley

   

   

Birthday wishes

Good morning everyone and happy July 16th!

I just celebrated my 29th birthday on the 14th and had a lovely lunch out with my husband. I'm so thankful I got to spend the day with him and in lovely England as well! I wanted to make a wish list of things that I would LOVE to purchase for myself. It's always nice being celebrated and receiving gifts is always a plus, but this is just a list of things that I've had my eye on recently. 

Tanya Burr Martha Moo liquid lipstick


First off, I have been loving the Tanya Burr makeup collection recently and this liquid lipstick is next on my list. I have seen so many reviews on this and people are raving about it. I generally don't wear a lot of lipstick but when I do I usually reach for nude colors.  This is a matte lipstick that looks like a my lips but better color. I'm obsessed with anything matte looking at the moment, so why not try this?

Polaroid Pic 300

Who remembers Polaroid pictures?! I'm not sure if they have always been around but I haven't heard of them having a comeback until now. I would love to get my hand on this camera because I love the fact that you can get your pictures in an instant. I like technology, but there's always something special about having actual prints versus just taking pictures with a phone or storing them on a computer or disc.

Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons palette

I've been focusing on trying to better myself and to be more positive about my looks. I like enhancing my eyes with pretty and shimmery shades. Purples and pinks compliment anyone with brown or hazel eyes so this palette is right up my alley. I have yet to try Too Faced eye shadows and have heard good things about this product. The fact that it actually smells like chocolate is a huge plus!

Tagine pot


I used to have a Moroccan next door neighbor who I was friends with and grew to LOVE Moroccan food. This tagine pot is on my list because it can cook a variety of food and I can become more experienced with cooking. I was so excited when I found out that they sell them in stores here in England.  A chicken tagine recipe with olives is so yummy cooked from one of these!

Nike Roshe trainers!

These Nike trainers are pretty much the next best thing in my eyes after the Nike shox which they no longer make anymore :( I am flat footed and most Nike trainers are SO comfortable for me. I love to walk and these provide great support. Bright and pastel colors are very in style right now so I hope to pick up a pair soon!


I hope you enjoyed my current items I'm dying to buy! Let me know if you have any of these items and give me your opinion on them. Also feel free to post pictures as well!


Have a wonderful weekend!

Ashley

Stars and Stripes

Happy 4th of July to all of my fellow Americans out there!

Chloe the American kitty

   ** I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.**

    I remember saying this every single day all throughout my school years. I'm very proud to be American and even though I don't agree with certain things (such as Obamacare, etc) I will always stand behind my country. I understand that everyone has different ethnic and religious backgrounds, and may or may not believe in celebrating holidays but I think it's sad when we can't say that the kids are having a Christmas party at school and it's called a winter themed party instead because it might offend someone. People need to be more respectful of the fact that we all have different opinions and beliefs and to have little things like the name of a party that's supposed to be a celebration be changed is ridiculous. If I was living in another country where they had different beliefs, I wouldn't say that something was offensive because it's how that culture works. If you don't agree with something, then simply don't be a part of it instead of saying that it's offensive to you. 

    I believe that everyone has a right to a better life, but I wish that people would stop using religion as an excuse to change things that aren't harming anyone. Respect the fact that everyone is different. If everyone had the same beliefs and opinions, the world would be a pretty boring place. Since moving to the UK, I've noticed a few similarities here as well. If you live in the UK, have you noticed things being covered up  or changed out of fear in offending someones religion? 

I hope that everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July!

Ashley