B is for...Brunch

B was a tough one to think of ideas for. We didn't want to go bowling, because we wanted to think slightly outside of the box. Also i'm ridiculously awful at bowling.

We decided to go for brunch somewhere fancy, which was meant to happen last week, but we were both hungover, and Dan couldn't keep anything down so we ended up having a lazy Saturday instead.

This weekend we were a bit fresher, and hungry for a lovely brunch at Maison Mes Amis. This is a local restaurant, which has a bit of a fancy reputation, so we thought it'd be a nice place for a brunch date. 

We both had Croque Madame, which was gorgeousss! Just looking at this picture makes me want to eat it all over again.

I'd like to take the opportunity to say, how amazing is brunch!? Let's just explore this for a moment:

• It's breakfast food, i mean come on. Who doesn't love a good breakfast?
• It's acceptable to have alcohol 
• You can pretend you're a bit fancy for an hour or so
• Most brunchy places serve breakfast until the afternoon (Mes Amis serves until 3pm), so you can have a lazy hungover morning in bed, and then go straight out for food, with time to spare!
• If you go on a brunch date, then you can keep the date going by doing something else afterwards without it being too late
• Alternatively, if your date is shit, then you can leave and you've not wasted the whole day
• It's brunch. Give me some downsides, cos honestly I can't see any negatives. Go with your friends, go with a date, have some drinks, eat some food, it'll set you up for a good day.

Overall, I was very happy with B. It was a nice change, which is really what this challenge is about, getting out there and doing different things.

Let me know your thoughts on brunch! Are you a crazy fanatic like me? If you've never had it, then I would definitely recommend that you try it!  

Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual - The Ultimate Beauty Guide

Today’s post is a little book review. I’m not sure what my opinion on book reviews is to be honest! I love reading, but I’m always very skeptical when someone recommends a book to me, because what someone might tell me is gripping, I might find boring. I think books are very personal, and you can’t tell if you’re going to like one until you’re reading it yourself, and even then, it might take you until you’re halfway through to make up your mind about it. This is a little bit different, as it’s a makeup book, rather than a novel.

For Christmas I received the incredible Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual from my boyfriend (without prompting! I was impressed). Other than being completely surprised that he’d bought me this, I was also extremely excited, as I’d wanted this for quite a while. I know i'm extremely late to the party seeing as this came out in 2008 (!!!), but i think it's still a classic. It doesn't go into great deal on any of the newer makeup trends out there like contouring or strobing, but it's still a fantastic staple for anyone who has a genuine passion for makeup. I thought I would give you a review on what you can expect from the book, and the sort of things that are covered in it.

  

Bobbi Brown is a great talent. It is clear from the first couple of pages, this woman knows what she’s talking about. She states that she has written the book to benefit anyone, whether you're a beginner or a professional makeup artist. It goes through the very basics of makeup application, what works for different skin types, and a series of how-to's, sprinkled with absolutely gorgeous photography.

         

The book is split into two parts, basics and artistry. I have only read the basics section so far, but I am already amazed by this book. I've learnt so many things already, and by applying some of the tips and methods, I see a genuine difference in my makeup. Bobbi goes into detail about exactly what you'll need in your makeup kit, how to care for your products, and how exactly to use them. There's sections on skincare, eyes, lips, specific looks, makeup photography, and the history of makeup. There's something in here for everyone I think, no matter your experience or knowledge.

If you have any interest in makeup, the industry, learning tips, or the history of it, then you will love this book, and I definitely recommend it. Let me know if you've read this, and what you're thoughts are!

A is for...Arcades and Aquariums

So if you listen to Matt Edminson on Radio one, or follow Tom Fletcher on youtube, then you will probably have heard of alphabet dates. A concept that is sickeningly romantic and quirky, that I just had to give it a go. As you can gather, the basis is that you and your significant other make your way through the alphabet by going on dates that begin with A, then B, then C, and so on. Dan and I figured out if we start this in 2016, we can do one date every two weeks.

So we started with A (obviously), and let me tell you it’s harder than it looks to think of specific dates! Especially with Dan’s best efforts including “A drink” and “A meal”.

In the end we decided with aquarium as there is one near to us in Matlock Bath. With that we could also go to the arcades that are there. Two A’s, one stone.

I've been to Matlock Bath a handful of times in my childhood, but never before realised how actually bizarre it is. It is effectively a seaside town without any seaside. When we first got there, we went straight for some fish and chips, and I was commenting on how it was odd to come in January when it’s cold, but nice to do something outside the norm. I then realised how weird it actually was, as people usually come in the summer, and go for fish and chips, go on the arcades, etc. and why? Why not go to Scarborough or Skegness which has all of this and more, as they are actual seaside towns! Why do we have this random tourist place in the middle of the country? It’s still got me a little baffled if I'm honest. I'm grateful that Dan puts up with my meaningless ramblings, as this went on for about half an hour.

After fish and chips, (I had chips and gravy, and I was quite disappointed with the lack of thickness to my gravy if I'm honest. As a northerner I feel like I'm allowed to comment on this, but really no one likes watery gravy on chips, am I right?) we headed to the arcade which was gloriously tacky and entertaining. I am addicted to Zingy machines, so Dan had to pull me away from that, but we did win the jackpot of £10 on a Deal or no Deal fruity. Happy days.

Next was the aquarium. If you've ever been to the Matlock Bath aquarium, you’ll know it’s extremely disappointing. As a kid I used to love it, so despite it being slightly shit, it was nice and nostalgic to go to. Also I don’t think it really matters what you do on a date. The fact that you’re doing an activity gives you conversation and things to laugh at. Particularly  if what you’re doing is awful, they’ll always be things to find funny, for example moody af catfish, and turtle orgys.

So that was our A date. It was a lovely start to the challenge I think, and it was a perfect style of date for us. I am really looking forward to the rest of the alphabet, because it’ll allow us to do things that we wouldn't normally do, and I'm hoping we’ll find lots of new things that we enjoy. I may blog all of the dates we go on, or I may just do the interesting ones. I’ll have to decide as we go along.

What do you think of this idea? Is it something that you and your partner would try? If you’re single then you could easily just do this with your best friend, I think that’d be equally as fun! Let me know your thoughts.

How to actually stick to New Year's resolutions

So I try not to set concrete resolutions every year. I always say I'm going to 'try' and do something, because I can be such a fickle person, and lose interest in things very quickly!

I heard about this idea, where you don't set a bunch of resolutions to do all year, but you think of 12, and then do one monthly. I thought this was brilliant, one because I think a month is a good amount of time to set yourself to try something out, and by giving yourself an end date you're more likely to see it through until the end of the month.

I'm not 100% sure what my resolutions will be throughout the year, but my January resolution is going to be:

Put your phone away when you're around other people

I am so guilty of being with my boyfriend, my friends, and my family, and being on my phone. I've been on the receiving end of it, and it is one of those things that does annoy me, particularly when you're trying to talk to someone and they're straight up blanking you because they're doing something on their phone. I feel like I can't really say anything though, because I do it too! But for one month, I'm going to put my phone away in social situations. I really hope that I learn something from this months resolution, and that it kinda sticks with me somewhat throughout the year. Only time will tell!

Do you believe in resolutions? If so, have you got any? If not, what do you think of monthly resolutions instead?

Workouts at Home

Who has the time/money/motivation for the gym? Quite a lot of people actually who like to put us all to shame....BUT if you're a lazy person, who hates working out in front of others, is cheap and feels like you have no time to go the gym, then this post is for you!

I do all my exercise at home. I follow a bunch of youtube accounts/blogs that are dedicated to exercise and keeping fit! The beauty is that you can do this in the comfort of your own living room, you don't have to worry about what you're wearing, you can plan your workouts on how much time you have to spare, and you don't have to worry about actually getting up and going to the gym!

I thought as there will be quite a few of you who will want to try and lose weight or be healthier in the new year, that i would do a post about all the youtube accounts and blogs that i follow to try and keep myself in shape

DISCLAIMER - I am not a fitness guru by anyone's standards! I just like to do little things now and again, it makes me feel better about having a monstrous curry one night if i do a good workout the day after. ANYWAY, let's dive in....

Yoga With Adrienne
You probably have heard of YWA, if you haven't then GO, NOW, YOGA. Seriously even if you are a complete and utter beginner, Adrienne has got your back. There are a bunch of beginner videos, foundations of yoga videos which break down the moves for you, and simple gentle practices that can help you ease into it. I would especially recommend doing the 30 days of yoga challenge, i am currently doing the second 30 days of yogacamp which is amazing and so so rewarding. I promise you will feel 100% better and different for incorporating a bit of yoga into your life, even if it's a tiny bit here and there.

Blogilates

Cassis is crazy. I mean that in the best way possible! She will absolutely kick your ass, and still be so perky and smiling! I'll be there dripping with sweat, red like a beetroot, and she's there grinning like a cheshire cat, looking perfect and fit. Regardless of how much of a fitness goddess she is, she also runs the best fitness youtube channel/blog called Blogilates. The thing i love about Blogilates, is that if you sign up to the newsletter, you get monthly workout calendars and different challenges throughout the year, which are completely free! Cassie creates playlists on her youtube channel for the different days, which i love because i can just do whatever day that i'm on without worrying that I've missed out.

Fit Sugar

This is a blog that you've probably heard of, it covers pretty much everything that you'd like to read about regarding fitness, health, and wellbeing. I don't read it religiously, but i do like to have a quick neb from time to time. I like to mix up my routines, so sometimes it's fun to throw in something different that I've seen on fit sugar.

Tone it up

I envy these girls so much it's ridiculous! Karena and Katrina are gorgeoussssss, so healthy and fit. They run a blog, and youtube channel, but they also do a lot of workout DVD's that you can buy, and also things like nutrition plans, etc. to keep you in shape all year round. I like to do the various videos on their youtube channel, depending on what mood i'm in and what body part i want to work. If you are a little more serious about your fitness, then i'm sure that their nutrition plans and DVD's are worth buying! They're just a bit more on the pricey side, if what you're looking for is a cheap and easy way to workout.

If you're trying to do little things here and there to try and better yourself, then try doing a few workout videos every couple of days. I promise if you keep it up, you'll definitely see a difference and feel so much better in yourself.

If you already use these accounts, or use any others that are just as good let me know! Let's have a healthy start to the year!