10 Things That Make Me Happy

A mug of hot chocolate with cream and chocolate sprinkles

Allan changing over the disc during a Fringe marathon

Lying in bed cuddled up whilst its rainy outside

Getting post of any kind

My nails managing to dry 100% without catching them

Friday afternoon at 5pm

Getting positive feedback from clients at work

Looking back at cringe worthy statuses on Timehop 

A hug from my mum

Waking up and realising its the weekend. 

What things make you happy? 

The Beauty Blogger Tag

Can anyone believe how dark and cold its got so quickly? I cannot believe that I actually had to de-ice my car the other morning, that definitely got my pulses racing especially as I'd left my coat in the house! Today I thought I'd have a go at the Beauty Blogger Tag, whilst I don't claim to be an expect on beauty I do like giving my two penneth so here it is...

What is your natural hair colour?

Years ago my hair was dyed quite often, darker, lighter - even purple at one stage. But nowadays I'm au natural. Its kinda like a mousy dull brown, pretty exciting huh?

How often do you wash your hair?

I cant get away with washing my hair twice a week thank god. Its the biggest chore ever!

Do you wear the same style everyday or change it? 

I'm the laziest person when it comes to my hair. I wash it, let it dry naturally and then it goes in a bun and says that way until the next wash.  

Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to the salon?

I'm DIY all the way. I'd love to get it done in the salon because I can imagine its a nice treat, but it can also be pretty expensive. Plus I like changing up my nail colour regularly.

How long does it take you to do your make up?

This definitely varies depending on the mood I wake up in the morning. If I'm feeling with it when I wake up I'll spend longer doing my make up but if I'm a tired Kelly then I'll opt for longer in bed!

Do you 'collect' make up or just buy it when you need it?

I am guilty of being a hoarder and a spendaholic and when make up gets involved it all gets a little crazy. Its a little sad to say but I do tend to collect make-up although I am trying to get out of the habit. 

How often do you wear false lashes?

Like never. I've got about 4 pairs which I've attempted to wear but I never get further then the front door with them on. I just worry that they are going to fall off mid nightout which is not a good look!

Will you leave the house without make up on?

Quite often I'll go out without make up on, to be honest it really doesnt bother me. Am I bad beauty blogger?? I'll often go to work, pop to the shops or round to a friends without make-up and whilst I might not feel at my best I dont feel uncomfortable. 

Do you wear make up when you are home alone/with family?

Nope. If I've got nothing planned during the day I wont bothered putting on make up, and when I get home after work taking it off is the first thing I do.

Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you get up?

There isnt any set pattern for this, sometimes I have an idea in mind if I'm going somewhere special but during the week I always just chuck on whatever is clean and doesnt need an iron!

How often do you change your handbag?

I have about 3/4 handbags that I have on rotation depending on where I am going and what I'm wearing. 

How tall are you?

I'm 5"7

Do you speak a foreign language? 

I wish :( 

Do you read the comments on your posts?

Of course! I have so very little that it would be rude not to! It always makes me smile when I get a comment as it makes me feel like someone actually read my post. 

Do you keep a list of products to try as you read other blogs?

My phone notes are full of lists of products I need want.

How did you come up with your blog name?

It took quite sometime, I was playing around with names for a while but one day it just popped in my head and stuck. And no I havent ever watched Along Came Polly....

What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?

I have a pretty simple bridge camera that I've 'borrowed' from Allan which comes in very handy but recently I've got the new iPhone 6 so have been using that as the picture quality is so good. Its also a bonus that its pretty easy to use. The only thing I don't like is the picture size and orientation...I dont know if I'm doing something wrong, I just want them big and beautiful! Feel free to pass over tips...please?

What is your favourite colour?

Purple purple purple

Be sure to let me know if you do the tag, I'd love to read your answers. 

Spending Ban | Christmas Edition

Source

So back in January when I first started my blog (I cant believe its coming up to a year!!) I put myself on a spending ban to help get on an even keel at the beginning of the year. January is a horrendous month mainly because I get paid pre-NYE so most of my money is gone by approximately 00.02am. But also because there are sales here there and everywhere which are too bloody good to pass by. So this year I'm taking a different tact, I'm going to do a pre-Christmas spending ban between now and Boxing Day!

Of course this is going to a personal ban so I'm still allowed to buy Christmas presents...although I could save a whole load of money cancelling Christmas but I'm no Scrooge! 

So the rules are as follows....

1. I can only buy essentials, such as deodorant, toothpaste, shower gel etc and only if I have no back ups
2. No magazines
3. No new clothes (apart from one Christmas party outfit)
4. No make-up or skincare
5. No unnecessary lunches/dinners/coffee shop trips (I'll miss you Costa!!) 
6. No iTunes purchases 

Hopefully this will not only save a few pennies ready for my March adventure but will also help my family buy gifts for me as at the moment I just buy whatever it is that I fancy, making it super difficult to buy for!

So here we go, only 52 days to go.....

Oh damn, 52 is a lot of days :(

A Trio of Treats

As I'm sure you have gathered my internet is finally working again, albeit very sporadically so whilst its on my side I thought I'd show you a a couple of bits I picked up when I went for a walk around Brighton. I was feeling in a spendy mood but I was just finding it difficult to part with my pennies. In the end I just picked up a few bits in Boots as L'Oreal was on 3 for 2. 

I've been using the L'Oreal True Match foundation for a couple of months which I've really been loving and whilst I don't usually buy the matching concealer when I saw it I thought I may as well see if it works just as well. I'm suffering with both under the skin and normal blemishes so I'm hoping it will work well at covering them up without looking dry and cakey. Watch this space.

Now I definitely do not need any more eye shadows, especially as not so long ago I spent a small fortune on starting a MAC palette but you know how it goes, you spy a colour and cant leave the shop without taking it with you. Which is exactly what happened when I saw the Colour Riche L'Ombre Pure in Quartz Fume. Its a gorgeous cool toned brown with a very slight coloured glitter running through it. I cant wait to use this to bring something extra to a smokey eye. 

Recently I've been on the hunt for the perfect liquid or gel eye liner so I can finally get the hang of winged liner! So far its not been a successful search but I'm hoping this Super Liner Black Lacquer will be the answer. Its good a small nib which I like but its also pretty sturdy which I find helps with control. I'll update you after I've put it through its paces. 

So that's the three treats I picked up recently, I'm hoping that the spending will stop there as I've just booked a surprise trip for Allan's 30th birthday and with Christmas just around the corner its going to be save, save, save. I see a spending ban on the horizon... 

What bits do you like from L'Oreal? 

Technology has failed me!

We have some technical issue up in here. Much to the dismay of myself and my sisters, our internet has died. Sky, as always are hoping to sort it within the next days but so far there's nada. So due to my lack of organisation (slaps on wrist) it will be a little quiet this week on Along Came Kelly! I will be back to normal next week I hope, but for the time being this is a lesson learnt...plan in advance! 

In the mean time please go and download Houzz if you haven't already! I am obsessed with looking at all the lovely houses on there! 

P.S This has post has been written on my phone so god knows how it will end up but please forgive me...and blame my internet instead! 

Daydreaming about Decor

I'd bet my last Babybel (yes I adore them!) that I'm not the only one that has gazed in wonder at Pinterest's Home Decor section, am I right or am I right? I'm not going to lie, home decor is not one of my strong points, I always have an idea of how I want things to look in my head but find it difficult to translate into real life. At the moment I'm quite thankful that I only have my bedroom to contend with as I still for the moment live at home with my parents. I'd love my bedroom to have a minimalistic vibe about it but I just love knick knacks too much, I've got decorative candles on every ledge, yes decorative - god forbid I was to light them. Whenever I'm out shopping and see something cute that would match my room I just have to pick it up without even giving it a thought as to where it would go or what I would do with it! 

When I do move out I would like to take a slow approach to decorating, as otherwise I'd be like a bull in a china shop and it would be total mish mash as there are so many different styles that I like! The plan is that I'll be moving in with my boyfriend who recently brought a flat which is currently a total blank canvas which definitely needs some girly home touches, I've already dabbled a little by buying Allan his first candle - which of course hasn't been lit yet ;)

I just love the white minimal look with adding a little dash of colour, especially in the bedroom above, purple is my favourite colour so this is definitely something I'd love to recreate! Owning a cute colour Smeg fridge is on my bucket list, and the way it fits into a white kitchen is just adorable. For now though I'll have to stick to daydreaming and pinning away to my hearts content! 

Dont forget to check out my Pinterest boards here, and leave

your link too - I love to waste spend hours

endlessly searching. 

Getting Into Autumn | MAC Hot Tahiti

The idea of summer is a lot more desirable than actual summer for me, I get so hot and unconformable, I never know what outfits are acceptable to wear and sleeping at night becomes near to impossible! I always have more of a smile when I see the leafs on the trees starting to turning colour and the days getting cooler. 

To help get into an autumnal mood (not that I need any encouragement) I've been loving wearing MAC Hot Tahiti, its the perfect transitional lip colour. Described by MAC a soft reddish coral, one that's great for those (including me) that are too scared for the really dark colours or just not ready for the full autumn/winter look. Although in the bullet it looks very dark it translates lighter on your lips. Its a glaze formula so not the most long lasting product available but its one that I've been reaching for a lot during the day, paired with a soft smokey eye. 

I picked up Hot Tahiti at IMATs back in June but its only been in the last couple of weeks I've been using it and I cant wait to wear it more often. It may be one that I you might overlook amongst all the other lovely colours at the MAC stand but its one I really think you should give a try at this time of year. 

What lipstick have you been loving at the moment?

Have you tried Hot Tahiti before?

101 Things in 1001 Days - Update

Its been 8 and a half months since I first wrote up my 101 things in 1001 days which if you didn't catch it you can read it here. I didn't think I'd chosen very difficult things to achieve as I want to make it more realistic to complete but true to Kelly form I haven't managed to tick off very many, a mere 11 to be precise! One of which I managed to complete this month. 

During my recent holiday to Greece I managed to tick one item off the list Read 12 books in 12 months. Thannks to it being the most relaxing holiday I've had in a long time I was able to read 7 books in 10 days! Yes by far my biggest achievement in my reading history! This smashed my target and I've managed 17 with 3 months left to go! 

In October I am going to make a conscious effort to tick things off and write about them as I go. One I'm really keen to complete is number 72 Complete something crafty once a month for 6 months. I think this will be really fun and I'd be able to show you guys what I got up to! 

Do you have a bucket list your working on at the moment? Is there anything you'd love 

to do in the next few months? Are there any crafty ideas you 

think I should try?

Empties #6

Hello, remember me? I'm the girl that hasnt blogged since the beginning of August! Anywho, lets not dwell on that too much! To ease myself back in I thought I'd start off with one of my favourite posts to read and to write...my empties!

There's quite a lot here as you can see but I have to say that there were a few things that I just binned by accident over the last couple of months, but here's what I've managed to keep hold of! Some would say this is the mascara edition...

Champneys Spa Indulgence Distance Shores Shower Mousse - The smell of this mousse is ah-mazing! The passion fruit really comes through and makes me think of holidays in exotic places! Its a liquid in the bottle but pumps out as a soft foam mousse. The smell didnt linger too long on my skin which was a shame, but it was a lovely wash to use on a Sunday night during a pamper evening. 

Would I repurchase? Yes

The Body Shop Camomile Eye & Lip Make-up Remover - With lots of good feedback about this from other bloggers I was disappointed when I just didn't feel the same. Being a bi-phase formula it did leave my eyes a little greasy and not as gentle on my eyes as I'd hope. I did have to rub away stubborn eye make up a little more then I do with Liz Earle C&P. Smell was very pleasant though.

Would I repurchase? Unfortunately not

Batiste Blush Dry Shampoo Mini - I think I've a dry shampoo in every empties post so far! Think that speaks volumes...

Would I repurchase? Over and over again

Garnier 5 Second Blur - This is a primer which I used pretty much every day, it has an optical blurring effect which smoothes and provides a good base for foundation. It has a very soft feeling, kind of reminds me of the of Benefits Porefessional but a lot cheaper. 

Would I repurchase? Yes

MAC In Extreme Dimension Lash Mascara - Being my first MAC mascara purchase I wasn't sure what to expect, especially at a price of £18 (now £19!). I was really impressed with the volume, length and definition it gave to my lashes, it was quickly promoted to my favourite going out mascara - does anyone else have mascara that they only use for evening looks?! I would put this on par with Benefit They're Real. 

Would I repurchase? Yes

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Mild - In the mornings I like something gentle and easy to cleanse my face and little mini did a good job of freshening up my face first thing. Due to finding it a little drying and more expensive then some of my other morning face washes, I wouldnt pick this up again.

Would I repurchase? No

Maybelline Big Eyes Mascara - Once this has dried out a little it was a really good mascara, and I liked that there was two brushes, one for top lashes and the other for bottom. I did prefer the bottom lash wand, I just wish it was sold as separate mascara! It really helped to separate my bottom lashes and add a little colour without packing on loads of product, in turn avoiding the spider look. I'd pick this up again just for the bottom lash side. 

Would I repurchase? Yes

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara - As I've mentioend before I use this as a bottom lash mascara and think as a normal mascara it doesnt really have much effect on my lashes. Since getting the Big Eyes mascara it was demoted to the back of the queue. 

Would I repurchase? Only if I couldn't get hold of Big Eyes

Clinique Lash Power Mascara - My first use of this mascara was pretty disappointing, the formula was far too wet and didnt hold a curl in my lashes at all so I didnt use it for a little while. But then I decided to give it a second go and it was a lot better after it has dried a little, and it did turn out to be a good egg. It really gave a feathered look and was perfect for an every day look. 

Would I repurchase? With boots points yes

Collection Fast Stroke Eyeliner - With a short but steady nib this was really easy to apply - even for an eyeliner noob like me. My only problem was that it was very black, more like a muted black/grey. It lasted well on my eyes during the day, there was no fade but I think that was because it wasn't very dramatic when first applied. For £2.99 though its a bargain if your on a budget. 

Would I repurchase? Yes if it was a tight budget

Now I'm can finally clear under the sink and start a fresh! 

Have you tried any of these products?

I ❤ Sundays #3

Whilst you read this I'll be in London with Allan taking in the sights and no doubt doing a bit of cheeky shopping! Way back at Christmas I got Allan a meal at Marco Pieere Whites Steakhouse but we've not yet found the time to book it with all of Allan's uni work! We finally managed to get a free weekend and booked it in for this evening, along with a stay at Qubic! It looks like a really funky hotel, so its safe to say we are both looking forward to a little break! 

Other than that this week has been pretty uneventful, apart from a few late nights at work *sadface* but a three day weekend will make it all worth it! In the evenings I've been burning my new wax tarts like they are going out of fashion! They really pick me up after a long day, you can see my Yankee Candle haul here.

Next week promises to be a lot more exciting as I have a few dinners booked in as well as a wedding reception on Friday evening which will really lovely. Keep a look out for a post on our little trip to London and also a challenge that includes my two favourite things, make-up and shopping!   

Dont forget to come say hi on Instagram! 

July Empties

This month you'll find a mix of empties, one thing that I couldn't wait to finish and another that I may have had a little paddy about because I really didn't want to see the end of it!

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash - I hate to say it as its so well loved by others but I hated this body wash. Yes, it was really moisturising and felt so nice on my skin but the smell, well it really wasn't for me! I cant quite put my finger on what I didnt like it but every time I smelt it my nose was outraged! This bottle last forever which is normally a win win but I just wanted it to be finished already! This bottle may or may not have a little bit left in the bottom....

Would I repurchase? NO!

 Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - Another hyped product that I just didnt love *sadface*. Now dont get me wrong I didnt hate it but I just expected more from something that everyone loved. For me it was just a little bit heavy and stuck to every dry patch under my eyes. It did give good coverage on any red marks but felt it made spots look more prominent.

Would I repurchase? No

Batiste Dry Shampoo Medium and Brunette - Its the obligatory dry shampoo, we all know what a beauty these products are and the brunette version means no white cast left in your hair! 

Would I repurchase? Always

Dove Damage Solutions Intensive Repair Shampoo & Conditioner - To begin with this I could tell such a difference in the condition of my hair, it felt a lot softer and smoother. But after a while, like with most hair products, it stopped working its magic and turnt back to being like straw! As always I go for the smaller bottles so I can rotate shampoo and conditioner often. 

Would I repurchase? Probably not

Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm - I've left the best until last! At first I really, like really disliked this product, but now I feel like I judged far too early on! If you read my review of this you'll know that I hated the smell but I did infact grow to love it! The tub did last a good 6 months and that's with every day use which does make the price alot more justifiable then I had first thought! For now I'm going to work my way through the cleansers I have sitting in my drawer but I may in the near future pick it up. 

Would I repurchase? Yes if I was feeling spendy. 

Off these go to empties heaven. What have you been using up this month? Have you tried 

any of these products? 

I Love A Good Tart | Yankee Candle Haul

 I love me a good candle, I find they can really change my mood within minutes and they help set a relaxing atmosphere! Yankee candles are my favourite as there are so many different scents for whatever mood you fancy. They are also really good value for money - who knew candles could be soo expensive (Neom, I'm looking at you!) When I saw that you could get 10 tarts and only pay for 8 on Yankee Direct I made my order pretty sharpish! 

I picked up a couple of my favourite scent ever, Black Coconut, a few summer scents but also couldn't resist some Christmas/wintery scents like Christmas Cookie! The thing I love with the tarts that you can try a scent on a small scale before biting the bullet and buying a jar. Although the tarts are small they do pack a big punch  when it comes to scent. I add a tart to my burner and light a little tea light and off I go. Although Yankee says the tarts can last 8 hours, I'd say they last a whole lot longer than that as I tend to burn 1 tart each night for a few hours and it can last a week or sometimes longer depending on the scent type of the tart.

I've started to store my tarts in a glass storage bowl as they are too pretty and colourful to store away in a drawer! Every time I walk passeed I cant help but take the lid of the container to get a wiff of the loveliness inside! 

Although I've never tried it you can mix up tarts to create your own scents which is such a good idea, I just panic that I may not like the scent I make so just stick with what I know. I have seen though that on the Yankee Direct website they give different ideas on Mixology, I like the sound of Laundry Day which is Fluffy Towels and Clean Cotton. I have both so may give that a try later on this evening, I'll keep you posted! 

Do you like Yankee Candles? What's your favourite? 

Review | Philip Kingsley Elasticizer

Hair for me is more a pain then a pleasure. 99.9% of the time you will find me with my hair up in my regimented ballerina bun, if your lucky I might have my doughnut in, but noway will it be in a normal ponytail let alone down! My hair is just out of control, its not straight, but not fully curly, its that in between which is a nightmare to maintain. Any small bit of heat or humidity and BOOM I'm a scarecrow. Because of this I've pretty much given up on with my tresses. 

Despite all of the above I do like to try new things now and again to see if I will finally find something to tame my very dry out of control hair, and I hate to admit it but I think the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer is a little bit of a game changer for me! You use this as a pre-shampoo, so you wet your hair before your shower or bath, massage into the mid and ends of your hair. I leave it for about 20 minutes before rinsing off and using shampoo and conditioner as normal. The formula is designed to add a big burst of moisture into your hair which gives hair elasticity and bounce and doesn't make it heavy. 

From the first use of this little baby my hair felt softer and and looked in better condition, to the point where I actually wore my hair in a pony tail shock horror. I've used this a couple of times since the first use and its only got better. I'd like to use it once a week to get the full results but it all honesty I find it a bit of a faff having to wet my hair then wait around for 20 minutes before even stepping foot in the shower, but you know what they say, pain is beauty! And it is a pretty big pain in the butt! 

This little sample size I received in a beauty box which was a blessing as I'd never have picked it up on the off chance as it has quite a hefty price tag of £28 for 150ml! Now in my books that's an extravagant purchase, but now I've tried it and loved it I'll definitely consider picking it up again. 

Have you tried anything from Philip Kingsley? What has been your most

expensive hair product?

The Reading Habits Tag

In the past few months I have most definitely got back into reading, which I didnt think would ever happen. Up until I was about 15 I was the biggest book worm going, I loved reading and would choose it over doing anything else, mainly because I shared a room with my younger sister and she watched rubbish TV. Then I discovered social media and the internet and it all went down hill from there. I'm now making time to read, mostly on my lunch breaks at work and in the evenings before bed. I saw Hayley from Water Painted Dreams had taken part in a great tag and I couldn't help but join in! 

1. Do you have a certain place at home where you read?

Always in my bed, its my favourite place.

2. Bookmark or random piece of paper? 

You know when your in the fragrance department and you squirt the perfume on a bit of paper? 

Well currently I have one of those as my bookmark. I've been known to have

 a train ticket and even a bit of tissue as my bookmark in the past! 

3. Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter or a certain number of pages?

I haven't really noticed before but generally I'll read until the end of the chapter or at a suitable stopping point. 

4. Do you eat or drink when reading? 

I love a cup of tea and a book so I'm okay with that but add food into the mix and it gets complicated. Eating just takes my focus away from the book. 

 5. Do you watch TV or listen to music whilst reading?

I dont mind it low in the background but I find if I zone in one word or sentence I lose focus in the book and pay more attention to whats on the TV.

6. One book at a time or several at once?

It depends how I'm getting on with the book. I have a couple I'm a mid way through as they got a bit heavy going so I switched to something a bit more light-hearted. I will eventually go back to them but I'll never actively read more than one book at one time. 

7. Reading at home or everywhere?

9/10 I have a book on me so I'm ready to read a chapter here or there if I have a spare moment. I kind of wish I had to use public transport so I had time to read on my commute. My sister however will read whilst walking to work !

8. Reading out loud or silently in your head? 

Always in my head, its too time consuming to read aloud. 

9. Do you read head or skip pages?

If you skipped pages you might miss out on something important! Although I do sometimes skim read certain sections if I'm getting impatient and want to get to the nitty gritty of a story line. 

10. Breaking the spine or keeping it new?

I'm totally torn on this question. I always keep my books in pristine condition, to the point where people may question whether I'd actually read any of my collection! I do think that books with broken spines do look well loved. 

11. Do you write in your books?

Nope never have. 

12. What are you currently reading? 

I've just recently started Peach Blossom Pavilion by Mingmei Yip and so far so good. Its a very interesting story about a Chinese prostitution house in the 1910's from the point of view of a young girl who was unknowingly sent to live in 'Peach Blossom Pavilion'. 

Recipe | White Chocolate Blocks

Everyone around these parts knows that I'm slightly addicted to Pinterest so you wont be surprised to know that this is where I picked up this really simple but to die for chocolate treat recipe! I know I'm trying to make healthy choices at the moment I just couldn't help myself with this one. 

You only need 3 ingredients and your good to go!  

• A bag of mini marshmallows
• 2 blocks of white good chocolate
• Sprinkles

 First off you need to start with melting the chocolate, I did this pretty easily in the microwave. Just put the broken up pieces into a non-metallic bowl (I don't think you need to ask why!) and microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring regularly to make sure its all fully melted and there are no hidden pieces. When its ready stir in the marshmallows, making sure they are fully coated in chocolate. You'll need to work fast on this as if you take too long the warm chocolate will melt the marshmallows which is not what you want. 

Now you'll need to transfer the mixture into a dish, line it with greaseproof paper so its easy to remove. Push it all to edges of the dish and make its all even on top. Next up, make it pretty! Add sprinkles all over the top, I say more the better! Now for me the next step was the hardest...trying to find some room in the freezer! You want to chocolate to cool as quickly as possible so the marshmallows stay in one piece and don't turn into a sticky mess. After about 20 minutes take out of the freezer and let the yummy white goodness return to room temperature so you can easily cut it up.

See bet you didn't think it would be that easy to make such a yummy treat! These were definitely a hit in my house, so much so I think I'll be making a new batch very soon! Maybe next time I'll try mix it up and try some different variations. 

I ❤ Sundays #2

Tea is always the answer - New book - Friday - Left over pizza - I won!
- Saturday breakfast - Costa & Bloglovin session - Bills is coming to my town! - Made it to the gym

This week it feels like all I have done it eat! Although you probably cant tell that from my pictures, I'm pretty crappy at taking food pics, I'm far too greedy and get stuck in before I even cast a thought to getting a snap! On Tuesday I went out for dinner with my mum, sister and nan to celebrate my mum bagging herself a new job! I know she has been very apprehensive trying to find a new job after being in her current one for 14 years so I'm so proud! On Thursday Allan treated my to a trip to Zizzi's after he managed to get a tax rebate - why doesn't that happen to me! I got a bit dough happy, we had garlic bread and I opted for massive pizza which of course I couldn't manage so took the rest home for lunch on Friday. 

At the end of the week we had our quarterly awards at work, as I've mentioned before our awards are work are a pretty big deal. We all attend the local golf club and there's an award ceremony, I wasn't expecting it at all, but I won an award! I was very shocked as this quarter (well this year really) has been testing me a lot, but it does make me feel that the blood sweat and tears are all worth it. The prize is Luxury Power Boat Day or you can opt for vouchers. I think I'm going to take the vouchers so I can stock up on holiday clothes ready for our holiday at the end of August. 

As its was my dads birthday on Friday we went out again to Bella Italia which was really nice, I love spending time with my family and Allan, it makes me smile as they get on so well. Although me and my sister was getting quite bored with all the football talk - thank god that's over after tonight! 

If you read last weeks first I ❤ Sundays post you will know that I made it my aim to make it to the gym. Well after lots of different excuses stopping me going during the week I finally donned my trainers and headed to the gym this morning! It was so hot that I don't think I've ever sweat that much, but damn it felt good! Leaving the gym I stuck on the radio and blared Kisstory singing along to Destiny's Child, I definitely felt better after that work out! Maybe next week I'll be able to make a few more trips, as I love the after gym feeling - its just finding the motivation to go in the first place! 

Sorry about the ramble guys, I just love nattering away - I'm kind of a chatter box and it always translates into my posts, which I say is a good thing :) 

What have you been up to this week?

Fitness Wishlist #1

GAP Shorts - FT4 Watch - Vest -
Gym Bag - Trainers 

Everyone needs the right tools for the job right? In my quest to find out if I actually have any fitness levels at all I think its only right that I kit myself out correctly, even if it doesn't help me to physically train it will at least give me a bit more motivation if I'm wearing some new gladrags, right?

Although I might not be brave enough to get my legs out in the gym if I did the shorts from GAP would be perfect, gym chic without looking like I'm trying too hard, they seem pretty lightweight and not too clingy. Whilst I might not know the ins and out I do see a lot of fitness gurus taking snap shots of their Polar FT4 watches after they've clocked up hours in the gym and I want in on the action. I can imagine seeing the calorie burn on the screen is enough to spur anyone on.

Scrolling through Etsy is one of my new favourite things, on one Etsy session I came across a pretty cute workout top available in plenty of different colours, I couldn't help but smile! I may not have the muscles, yet but who doesn't love a slogan top! I can count the amount of trainers I've had since I left school on 1 hand finger. I hate trainers, or so I thought but who knew there were so many different types, all different colours and patterns! I need in on this trainer action and these Nike trainers are a good start, now I have no idea whether the type is good but bloody hell don't they look good! As I'm going to be such a gym bunny I need something to lug around all my gym bits and this Nike bag was perfect, big enough for all the essentials but small enough that I'm not carrying the world on my shoulder!

Who would have thought that I'd be spending hours seeking out gym clothes, definitely not me that's for sure! I'm just hoping that I find something somewhere deep inside which gives me the motivation to get to the gym time and time again. Watch this space...

Do you find a good workout outfit helps? How do you motivate yourself?

I ❤ Sundays #1

IMATS goodies - Relaxing in the bath - Late night bun & cuppa -
Getting into holiday mode - Small things - Disney makes everyone better

I've yet to do a weekly update post which is kinda strange as I love reading what people have got up during the week, what they have been loving and having a peek at their pictures. These Sunday posts of mine will most likely vary week to week, but they will have the same idea running throughout. 

This week I have mostly being getting over the flu. After an amazing day at IMATs last Saturday I came down with the flu and spend the next few days resting up in bed. My plan for Sunday and Monday evening was to get back into the swing of blogging, take lots of pictures and getting drafting but I couldnt muster up the energy to get out of bed let along pick up my camera. I did however manage to watch Anastasia and Sleeping Beauty! I forgot how amazing Disney Films are. I've made it my aim to watch a few more, I just need to get my hands on Sword in the Stone. 

Whilst the rest of the week was pretty mundane a trip to Nandos with my sister did put a smile on my face, even if she was distracting me from blog duties! I'm so easily distracted...

Getting away for the weekend is my favourite thing to do and more often than not you'll find me hiding away in Brighton. My boyfriend lives down here so coming down is quite a regular occurrence but its always like  a little holiday. This weekend we've spent the weekend relaxing, watching football much to my dismay and also a trip to Nando's for Allan's friends birthday. Today we have friends over for Sunday lunch so Allan is rolling his sleeves up in the kitchen and making a monster roast! No doubt there will be a picture on Instagram as evidence (you can follow me here). I've even made my first Banoffee pie for desert, my mum makes the best so I've got a lot to live up to! 

Next week I'm hoping to finally make it the gym, find out if I managed it next Sunday! Dont hold your breath though ;) 

I hope you liked reading my first I ❤ Sunday post. Is there anything else you would like to see me write? 

Empties #4

This post would have been up hours ago if my sister hadnt forced invitited me to Nandos, well who can resist chicken and halloumi cheese? Definitley not me.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love reading and writing these posts. Tried and tested products with mini reviews all tied up in one pretty little blog post!

Superdrug Vitamin E Gentle Eye Make Up Remover - I love a good Vitamin E product, nice and gentle non offensive smell and pretty moisturising and that pretty much sums up this one too. It did take a few swipes to wipe off stubborn mascara, so dont be thinking this will take off Benefit They're Real with ease but will tackle most non waterproof make up. 

Would I repurchase? Yes

Bee Good Honey & Wild Water Mint 3-in-1 Cleansing Water - I didn't have high hopes for this, I've gone a bit meh for micellar type waters but this turnt out to be a winner. Didnt dry my eyes out like some waters do, didnt drag or leave a horrible reside behind. The only thing that is putting my off repurchasing is the price, £10 for only 100ml! 

Would I repurchase? If I have some spare pennies

Botanics All Bright Hydrating Night Cream - When my finger tip reached the bottom of this little tub my heart sank a little. I love this stuff teamed with The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum in Oil, I even dedicated a blog post to the pair here so I wont harp on about it any longer. Well other than, try it! 

Would I repurchase it? Yes

Batiste Dry Shampoo Dark Brown - There's always going to be a dry shampoo that pops up somewhere. This little guy I got for free when I was out shopping in Brighton, score! Like most I love a bit of Batiste and the Dark Brown version is a favourite as there is no white caste, but still does the job like the original. 

Would I repurchase? There's always 1 waiting in the wings

Soap and Glory Flake Away - Need a never ending tub of body scrub? This is the stuff you need. I felt like this was sitting in my shower for so long even though I used it regularly. It was a really good scrub, there was enough abrasion without being drying as it did leave a slight silky residue behind which personally I like. As with most S&G products its very sweet smelling, my sister said it smelt like holiday which is down the Shea Butter, sea salts and almond oils. 

Would I repurchase? Yes

ELF Daily Brush Cleaner - Spot cleaning brushes is important, aint nobody got time to clean a brush each and every day. A couple of squirts of this on a cotton pad, and a quick swirl of all the brushes you've used that day means the brushes are cleaner for longer. This little bottle kept me going for quite some months and the squirty top really helped. I'm using the No7 one at the moment and the pump is AWFUL! For £3.50 you cannot go wrong.

Would I repurchase? In bulk 

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion - There was nothing dramatically different about my skin after using this. I've the little 30ml bottle on the go for about a year now, just using it for travelling as its so diddly but honestly I wont miss it. Maybe my skin just didnt get on with it but it would take ages to soak in as it was quite thick. I've now got a mini of the new version, hopefully the formula has been improved this time round. 

Would I repurchase? Nope 

Burts Bees Pink Grapefruit - If your into your lip balms you'll know that this is a winner in the moisturising stakes. I used this every morning before putting on my make up, it left them feeling nice and smooth whilst the smell really perked me up. Not usually being a fan of pink grapefruit I wasnt sure if it would be my bag but I was wrong. The good thing about the formula is that its not soft like the Baby Lips which means you don't get through it so easily. I'd now love to try more in the Burts Bees range. 

Would I repurchase? When I get through the 100s of lip balms I have on the go at the moment

Out with the old in with the new ;) 

Have you tried any of these bits?

I've Been Defeated, But I'm Ready to Bounce Back

So I realise its been quite sometime since you've seen a post from me pop up. I think I lost my love for it a little as doing the 30 day challenge was a lot harder then I expected. It was tough to write a bulk of posts and on the other hand its as difficult to write them each day. As the subjects were also set in stone I did feel really claustrophobic almost, I just wanted to write about the lipstick I'm loving at the moment. FYI its MAC Lovelorn!

 

 I don't think I'll ever be able to blog every day but I'm glad I had a good go at it!  I have to say I have missed typing away and nattering about all sorts, especially makeup and I cant wait to get back into the swing on things.

 

Normal Along Came Kelly blogging will resume next week with lots planned!

Days 13, 14, 15 & 16 | Catching up!

Oops, I really fell off the blogging band wagon this weekend! I'd like to blame the World Cup but I hate football! I've just been a busy disorganised bee all weekend, I'm sorry guys! I was kinda thinking about stopping this whole blogging every day thing - I just cant keep up but then Alexandra said what's stopping you! And you know she's right, I'm the only one stopping me! So here we go...

Day 13 - What's Inside My Fridge

As I live at home with my parents I don't tend to have any say in the bits we have in the fridge as a whole, although I do have the top shelf which is filled with a few little things. I've got some Almond milk which I'm trying to get to grips with, some sweet potatoes *nom nom* various dips and sauces. I also have a few Lush Face Masks, but I have to say they have been in there months! I just never know how long they will keep for but I think maybe I need to get rid. Although I will keep the containers as you do get a free face mask with 6 (I think!) empty pots! 

On another note - how cute is the pink Smeg fridge! I would love to have that kind of fridge in my kitchen. It would look so cute!

Day 14 - Three Healthy Habits

I'm trying hard to be healthy at the moment but I'm finding it so difficult! I just love food! So these are going to be three small healthy habits that will help with the bigger picture...

Always take the stairs - If there's less than 3 flights take the stairs, it wont take long and all it all go towards extra steps a day. If possible try running up too! 

Drink more water - I am terrible when it comes to drinking in general let alone drinking water! Some days I can get to my evening meal and not have had a drink all day! I just don't ever feel thirsty which Allan thinks is pretty odd! So first off I'll try to drink a glass of water with each meal, at least!

Dont always go for the easy option - This can be used in so many different situations, like when I'm choosing what to have for dinner or when I'm at the gym! Easy doesnt always mean its the best option, sometimes taking time to do or make something will help you get the results you want - as they say nothing worth having comes easy! 

Day 15 - Where Will I Be In 5 Years

I'm a girl with a plan. I know what I want, but not necessarily when I want it. In 5 years I'll be 28, so I'd like to think I'd be settled down in my own home in Brighton hopefully with a ring on my finger and if I'm lucky a little bubba on the way! Its no secret that I want to solely be a mum so although sometimes I think the sooner the better, I do know that there are so many things we want to do before settling into that part of our lives. There's so many places we want to visit, so many things we want to buy, including a second place (Allan already owns his flat, lucky sod). I also want to do my ARLA exams which means I'd be able to open my own Letting Agents which might come in handy when we have our own property empire!

Day 16 - Thoughts on Education

I have such mixed feels about education. Whilst I loved learning new things at school I hated putting it into practice in school work and homework but all the same I left secondary school with some pretty average grades. College was worse, I couldn't get myself motived to do the work and always did just enough work to scrape through even thought I knew if I actually applied myself I could do quite well. I knew uni was a no go for me although I would have loved to have gone for the experience! I don't think though that missing out on uni meant missing out on job opportunities. Okay so maybe you have to start further down the food chain then someone coming out of uni, but on the other hand it does mean that you have plenty more on the job experience. These days there's such a fine line between whether a degree is worth more than 3 years of actually doing the job! 

For me I think its such a personal thing, some people love it some people hate it, but I do think education up until college level is very important, anything after that is just personal preference. It all depends on what you'd like to aim towards. 

Now I know each topic is pretty short and sweet and I'm only scratching the surface but I didn't want you to be there all night reading my ramblings! One thing I do know though, I'll never be able to blog everyday! I think I was being quite ambitious and maybe next time I need to remember to go at my own pace, but you live and learn. 

You can read all my posts from the 30 day challenge here. 

Day 12 | My Favourite Childhood Book

Growing up was so fun, but at the time all you could think about was becoming a grown up because you could do what you wanted when you wanted. Little did I know that I would give anything to go back to the days when I didnt have a care in the world. 

I was a pretty big book worm when I was younger. My mum encouraged me from a young age that reading was fun and I loved it. Whilst I don't remember any of my favourite books when I was really young, one part of my childhood I do remember is Jacqueline Wilson books! I loved them. All the different books she had (and still does have!) was amazing, I'll always remember wanting to be the first to read her latest books. The thing that drew me to them first off was the colourful covers, each with its own little illustration which ran through the book. Each book had a different story line with some books running through a series. 

On our regular trips to the library I always headed to these books first to pick out one I'd yet to read! Whilst I cant for the life of me remember any of the storylines I do know that at the time they had me smiling from cheek to cheek and sometimes having a little tear when they got sad! 

Doing a little research now I can see Jacqueline has written so many more books with I can just imagine are as good as her old stuff. I wish it was socially acceptable to read these at the age of 23! 

What books do you remember from your childhood? Did you read any Jacqueline Wilson books? 

You can read all my posts from the 30 day challenge here. 

Day 11 | Top 10 Favourite Foods

Okay so I'm a bad blogger. I forgot to post AGAIN! Now I'm not going to apologise too much as this is a hobby, well I wont go on you know the drill. I don't know why I didn't get round to this post as food is my favourite thing to talk about! Now I wasn't sure what whether it should be meals or actually food items (?) so I've kinda stuck all sorts in there to be honest! 

My top 10 foods are:

• Cheese (no surprise there for regular readers!)
• Pasta
• Pizza
• Chicken
• Pancakes
• Sausage Casserole
• Fry Ups
• Sweet Potato 
• Indian Curry
• Bananas

So from the list I'm sure you can gather I am a bit of a greedy guts and I just love the unhealthy stuff! Dont worry though I don't eat everything on that list all the time. Although I kinda wish I could but it would mean I'd look and feel unhealthy inside and out! 

What food do you love? Do you love cheese as much as I do?

Day 10 | Best Trip of Your Life

Back in 2012 me and Allan went on our first city break together! For me it was the first time a holiday abroad didn't mean cocktails and lazy days by the pool, but it was such an amazing trip! 

We visited Rome on a lovely hot Septembers weekend which was just perfect. We spent the days wondering around all the usual sights, taking in all the culture which usually I hate. My favourite trip was when visited the Colosseum, you just don't realise how big its going to be! As we were walking around you could envisage thousands of people sat in stands waiting for the next gladiatorial event to start, there was just so much to take in. 

We ate lots of yummy ice cream which was one of the highlights in the food department, unfortunately we were left very disappointed with the food that was on offer in Rome. It seemed a lot of food was precooked and then frozen until required as a few restaurants were trying to win us over by saying the food was cooked from fresh, which I kinda of hoped would be the case throughout. Later we realised that we were going to all the commercial tourist friendly places so next time round we'll do our research first as Italian is our favourite type of food!

The trip to Rome really taught me a lot of things, mainly that history and culture isn't as boring as I had first thought, I just need to take a slight interest and soon I'll be hooked! I also learnt that if your walking round a city for hours on end for a few days make sure you bring comfy shoes and drink lots of water! My poor feet were so sore by the end of the weekend, I was grateful for the plane ride home to have a rest! 

Day 9 | What's in Your Bag

Okay I admit I am most definitely cheating on this post but I'm a creature of habit and don't believe in doing the same thing twice. So I'm going to be cheeky and direct you to the What's in My Bag post that I did back in February as I'm not kidding you I have exactly the same things in my bag then as I do now! You know me, I just don't like change!

What's in My Bag

Although I will leave you with a new addition to my bag collection - my first DKNY bag! It was a birthday gift from my very lovely boyfriend and I love it! Roomy enough for lots of my crap but not so big that I have to lug it about.

Dont you just love it?!