101 Things #62 - Join a Group of Some Kind

Last night I stepped out of my comfort zone, I joined a group. Not just any group, WeightWatchers.

Over the past couple of years WeightWatchers has been something I dabbled in, lost a few pounds decided that it wasn't for me to only put those pounds back on and a few extra, so I'd head straight back to it. Now I'm not saying that I am overweight because I am well aware that is the not the case here, I just feel I am on the wrong end of my dress size, a few pounds lost and I'll be back to being comfortable in my own clothes. 

For those that are in the dark about WeightWatchers, its a simple eating plan where you are allowed a certain amount of Pro Points per day, worked out on how much you are looking to lose. All food is awarded a Pro Point value so you can factor in what would and wouldn't work for your allocated points. For me I love this plan because I like being organised, knowing what I'm going to have one meal to the next. Most fruit and vegetables are free so you can fill up on those without feeling guilty. Over and above your daily points (I get 26) you also have 49 extra points to use over the week, I used to like saving these up for the weekend as it can be a lot more difficult to stick to routine and everyone likes a treat at the weekend! 

Previously I had only used the online sources as my work hours wouldn't allow a weekly meeting but now I switched departments and I'm working normal hours an evening meeting was a lot more possible. I opted to join a Monday night meeting as I thought it would give me a positive look on the week moving forward. 

Meeting new people has always been something I've been nervous about, I can be quite quiet and withdrawn until I get to know somebody well, and then you wont be able to shut me up! So walking into a room of strangers was not something that I was looking forward to in the slightest, but everyone was so lovely and welcoming. It was clear that everyone was there for the same reason, to lose weight. The actual weigh in wasn't as daunting as I had imagined - for some reason I thought it was going to be an assembly type situation when you individually get up in front of the class and get weighed. Thank god it wasn't like that! It was a wait in line jobby, jump on the scales and that was that, nice and easy! 

I'm one meeting down and I'm feeling super positive! Hopefully it will be like riding a bicycle and I'll pick it up again in no time.

I have been umm'ing and rrr'ing about whether to click publish on this post. I know weight loss is a touchy subject for most people, including myself so I wasn't sure how well it would be received but then I figured this a blog about me and my life and WeightWatchers is going to be a part of that again. Don't worry this isn't going to turn into a weight loss diary but I will be factoring in a few post's here and there to include recipes and little updates - I hope you don't mind :) 

K x

Liebster Award #2

Although I have already been nominated for this award, I'd recently been nominated again by the lovely Katie and Mary-Ann I thought what the heck I'll do it again! I love these answering type things as I feel it helps you get to know me a bit more and it helps everyone find new blogs to read! 

Rather than answering all of Katie's and Mary-Ann's questions I thought I'd answer a few from each, so here we go! 

1. How long have you been blogging for? 

Its only been about 6 weeks, and so far I'm loving it! 

2. How and why did you get started? 

I have been reading blogs nonstop for quite some time, and like most people who get into blogging I thought what the heck! At the moment I'm still trying to find where I sit in the blogsphere as although my posts are predominately beauty, I would like to post everyday kind of things too. 

3. How old are you?

I am 22, on May 11th I turn 23 - be sure to pop that in your diary ;)

4. Organisation or Chaos? 

Organisation is a strong point of mine, I cant stand not knowing what is going on or where things are! They say opposites attract and that cant be more true when it comes to me and my boyfriend. I like order and he likes chaos!

5. Liquid, pencil, or gel liner? 

This is tough one as I like all three for different things. I always use pencil on my waterline as it glides on well, where as I'd choose liquid and gel for liner on my lids. If I had to choose one it would have to be liquid. Especially the Be a Bombshell offering.  

6. Favourite and worst foods? 

Now this is my kind of question. Food is something I loooove. My favourite type of food is Italian. There is just so much choice, pasta (my weakness), pizza and even chicken dishes, Chicken Parmigiana anyone? I've been sat here for the last 5 minutes trying to think of something that I dont like and I've drawn a blank, surely there's something I dont like?! I'll get back to you on that one. 

7. How many languages do you speak?

I've dabbled in a few languages including French, Spanish and even Sign Language but that was all back in school and college so its long gone,  now you'll only catch me speaking English.

8. If you could have anything what would it be?

I would love more time in the day! I never seem to be able to juggle work, socialising, blogging, exercising etc etc. Being the organised person that I always have a todo list on the go to help me utilise my time but an extra hour or two go a miss! 

9. What's your favourite destination? 

I'd love to say somewhere far away and exotic but my favourite all time destination is Brighton. I'm slightly biased as this is where my boyfriend lives so I'm frequently visiting but its my favourite place. There is always so much to see and do, even sitting on the beach on a summers day is heaven - although I have to admit I've never even dipped my toe into the sea! One day in the not so distant future it will become my home, and I cant wait!

10. Where did your blog name come from?

I'd spent so much time thinking of a name that it was starting to stress me out. I had so many ideas for blog post's but without a blog name I couldn't even get started! I settled on Along Came Kelly as it meant that although I would feature lots on beauty it wasn't beauty specific so I could switch up content if I wanted to. This way I can grow my blog whichever way I'd like.

11. Favourite colour?

If you took a look in my wardrobe this would be any spot! Purple is by far my favourite colour, I just get totally drawn to it. Currently I am wearing a purple top, typing with purple nails whilst sitting on my purple bedsheets in my purple room! At the moments its great as there is so much purple about as its the colour of the year! 

The questions I have are: 

Films or series?

Take-away or eating out?

Heels or flats?

Cold or hot holidays?

Facebook or Twitter?

Tea or coffee?

Sweet or savoury?

Lipgloss or lipstick?

Bath or shower?

Books or magazines?

Dogs or cats?

And now on to the nominee's....

Honey - Beautysoprecious.blogspot.com

Ashley - aroaringtwentysomething.blogspot.com

Zoe - zoewithumlauts.blogspot.com

I know that you are supposed to tag 11 people but I've been going through my favourite blogs with under 200 followers and they have all been recently nominated! So please also check my first Liebster post to find some more favourites! Those that come across this please feel free to answer these questions, remember to link your post so I can take a look!

First Impressions | Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm

Do you ever go into a shop to buy one thing and one thing only, to then find they don't have it? There's then a mad panic because you cant dare leave the shop empty handed but you haven't preplanned another purchase! Well that was me in Space NK a few weeks back. I'd popped in to see if they had the new Nars palette in but it hadn't yet made its way into the shops. I should of walked out then but I had a little wonder around the shop seeing what I could pick up in its place. My mind was saying there's the door go through it but my body was having none of it and walked over to the Emma Hardie section picked up the cleansing balm and waltzed straight over to the till. £34 later I was shaking my head wondering what I was playing at! 

I'd seen review after review of this but it had never grabbed my attention. There are so many cleansers in my drawers that I didn't feel the need to add this to my stash but clearly something in me thought otherwise. It promises to thoroughly cleanse and moisturise whilst minimising the look of open pores. Now I'm not saying this doesn't remove make-up because it does, very well, its just not the amazing product that I had imagined in my head.

When I used this for the first time I couldn't help but wonder what the bloody hell was wrong with the scent! I know a lot of people rave about it saying that its relaxing and what not but for me it just smells likes plants, not flowers, plants. You know the type you find in your Grandads green house. So from the get go the balm was on the back foot. Now application wise it went on like a dream, gliding around my face like Torvill and Dean. I could really feel it breaking down my make-up, I just used one of my trusty Primark flannels to remove it with warm water and away came the days make-up. It did make my skin feel a little plump after use but I'd have to say that's where it really stops. I didn't notice any difference with my pores, which I have to say I do suffer with so maybe it might work better on someone who has less visible pores to start with.

Packaging for me is not that important although I do like things to look nice next to my sink which this does. I just find that the lid just doesn't ever sit right, it takes a few turns on and off to get in placed right and after 2 or 3 uses the plastic cracked! I had heard a lot of other people mentioning the poor packaging cracking, I had thought they had sorted this problem or maybe mine was not the updated version. You just wouldn't expect something that is on the expensive side of the spectrum to have naff packaging. 

Rightly or wrongly I was expecting such good things for the price of this balm but overall I feel that it does what any good cheaper cleanser can do. As I've only been using this for two weeks or so I do feel I need to give it a good chance to change my mind. Maybe I'll be able to get over the smell and fall in love - I really so or it would be a very expensive mistake to make!

Have you tried Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm? What do you think? What's your favourite cleanser?

Wednesday Wishlist #3

So the spending ban is well and truly over as I'm sure you can tell from my recent haul! I thought shopping would make me feel whole again but I can only say it made me feel guilty! So I've decided to be more strict on myself when it comes to buying things by asking my self four simple questions, read about all about it here. It doesnt stop me wishing though!

1. Seche Vite Top Coat - £5.59 - I love a good top coat, anything that promises to add shine and dry my nails quicker than a normal top coat is gets the tick of approval in my book! Although my faithful Barry M top coat is a couple of pound cheaper I'd happily part with it if does stop me getting imprint marks on my nearly dry nails which seems to happen every time I paint my nails.

2.Origins No Puffery - £24 - Recently I've noticed dark circles under my eyes, something I've never really suffered with in the past. I've tried sleeping more, and drinking more water but they don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. I've heard a lot of good things about this eye cream although my eyes are watering at the price tag! I'm not sure I could justify £24 on an eye cream, its going to take a little bit more thought.

3. Oasis Coat - £98 - I know that supposedly the weather is supposed to be getting slightly better but I cant help but be a little sceptical and think that the cold weather is here to stay longer, read I want another winter coat. This one from Oasis is perfect, it nips in at the waist whilst still covering my bum which is a must in the coat department! The only tough decision is whether I want black or cream!

4. ghd Wonderland Styler - £99 - I've had about 3/4 pairs of GHD's through the years, yes I know they last for years. Why don't mine I hear you ask...well mine have always been the fall off the lorry kind of purchases so the chances are none of them were actually real. For this reason they are always breaking, wires snapping - you get the picture. So its about time I invested in a proper pair and at £99 these beauts are a must! The design is really nice and right up my street! This might be one purchase I really cant do without!

5. Dior Lip Glow - £22.50 - Who doesn't want a lip balm that changes colour to suit your lips! Well I sure as hell do. This product is supposed to protect and moisturise with wild mango and luffa cylindrica (yeah me neither!) whilst providing a customised colour to suit your very own lip colour. Now I know this is a very unnecessary product but I cant help but be intrigued as to how it would look on me. Maybe this will be one for the birthday list in May!

So there you have it my wishlist...I'm sure none of these items will come into my possession but I'm just getting it all ready for when my lucky numbers come up on the lottery tonight!

What's In My Bag

I'm a bit of a nosey parker and I didn't think I'd be the only one out there who likes a good rummage through peoples bag so here I am offering mine on a plate! I have to say that I'm a bit of a hoarder when it comes to handbags, I've got so many that I find it difficult to choose which one I am going to use. I am for ever swapping bags so I need all the bits to be easily transferred. I'd say the contents of my bag are very basic with most things being a necessity. 

Without fail you'll always find my Filofax in which ever bag I've chosen that day. Without this I wouldn't know what I was supposed to be doing. I like to be very organised and although I know most people have got up to date with technology and they use their phones to keep up to date but for me I like having a physically diary where I can see everything written down. I've had this diary for about 4 years now and its still going strong. Initially I was sceptical about paying a big chunk of money out for a diary but little did I know how it would change my life! Maybe I'll do a separate most on my love of this little book of pinkness! 

Keeping on the theme of writing things down I always have a note pad and pen with me so I can write down little snippets, ideas and wishlist items on the go. Normally this is where my to-do list is found. My boyfriend often laughs at my dot system but I love it! For those that are intrigued, when I write my to-do list I start each item with an open bullet point and then when I've completed that item I will fill in the dot - voilà - the dot system! Its what we have been taught at work and somehow its made its way home!  

Next up we have ear phones, I love listening to music as it really helps me to switch off and keep the world out. My purse is a recent purchase from River Island. I love the bags and purses from there as they look a lot more expensive then what they are and they last really well. My previous purse was also from River Island but it was starting to look worse for wear after a few years so I decided this one would be perfect. There are lots of compartments for coins, cards and cash and especially all those loyalty cards I seem to be accumulating. Obviously my Nando's one is the most used - gotta love that chicken!  

To help swap from one bag to another I like to keep all my little bits and pieces in this Ted Baker bag which I got for Christmas a few years ago. Its the perfect size and I really like the cute ballerina design on the front. As its a soft material there is a bit of budge if I do need to fill it with more things. I also have a couple of odd bits in here such as the Eurax cream and Iglu, but I find these really useful to keep in my bag as during the summer months I'm for ever getting bitten by creepy crawlies and find the Euraz really helps to soothe. I'm also really unlucky to get ulcers quite often, some would say I'm greedy as I'm always biting the inside of my mouth but I say its so easy to do! 

In here I have everyday essentials such as hand cream, paracetamol, chewing gum and a little mirror. In the lips department I always have at least two or three products including balms and lipsticks. I'm always switching these up depending on what I'm wearing that day or what condition my lips are in. Today we have NYC Applelicious Lip Balm in Apple Blueberry Pie, I have a couple of colours of this balm as I feel like they are conditioning my lips as well as providing a little pop of colour - its nothing to do with the fact they smell like apples, I promise. I also have a Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla and Macadamia which smells exactly like the Milky Bar yoghurts, yum yum. Finally I have one of the new Revlon Colour Burst Matte Balms in Elusive, this is great everyday colour although I do find at the moment that my lips are a bit too dry for this formula as it doesn't sit quite right. Hopefully when the weather warms up a little I'll get more use out of it. 

I keep a couple of face products in my bag should I feel the need to touch up during the day. In all honestly its always the one thing I forget to do until 4.59pm and who wants to touch up just before home time! I have the Revlon Nearly Naked Power which I find is really light weight but does take shine away with out leaving you looking cakey. I also have two Benefit products which are Some Kind of Gorgeous Foundation Faker which I like to use on my cheeks if my foundation starts to wear off to reveal my red cheeks and also Erase Paste which is a god send for the bags under my eyes and red bits around my nose. I only have this in a sample size buts its only a matter of time before I bite the bullet and get the full size. 

Lastly I have little mini nail files which I received last year in a Glossybox, at the time I thought it was a bit of a naff idea but who knew they would be such a good send! We've all been there when we chip a nail whilst out and you get that annoying bit flaking off that you cant stop picking. Well with these in my bag I am always prepared! 

So there you have it the contents of my bag! I hope you liked having a little nose around! If there's anything you think I should be adding please let me know - I always like to be prepared!