Favourites

November 2018 Monthly Favourites

- cupsofcharlotte Leave a comment

Today I am going to hare with you a range of products which I have been loving throughout the month of November. It is rare for me to do two of these posts in two consecutive months but there has been that many new products which I have loved this month I have the need. There is a mixed bag again this month it includes beauty, a couple of fashion and websites. No doubt I will end up adding some random favourite along the way.

Nescafe Gingerbread Latte

There is something about this time of year which gets me excited it is the fact that we have flavoured coffee. I now do not live as close as I did to the coffee shops which serve these liquid gold. So this year I have tried to replicate some of the Christmas drinks which I would normally be ordering at home. I purchased the Nescafe gingerbread latte and I did not have that high expectations because I know normally they are made with syrup when you order in a coffee shop. This is power of course but there is still so much gingerbread flavour which is what I actually wanted. I could not believe how cheap these actually where for the 8 which you get in a packet you actually only pay £1.50. This is so much cheaper than one latte in one of the chains. I have even been making then in my travel mug because this means that I can still take them out. This is also saving me money which is important when it is the festive season.

Ebay

Ebay is a site which I have been using for a long time now anyway. I both purchase things which I need off it usually I am getting things for Jess that I do not want to end up paying full amount. I also sell a lot on there usually things which has clothing which still has plenty of wear left in it. I have even been know to sell some of my clothes which I either do not wear because they are too small for me or I have no need for them any longer. Unwanted gifts are something amazing to sell as well because if you do not want the gift you would be better off with the cash. I have done this a few times this month we have had presents which Jess still has in the box. You can always treat yourself with the cash that you have for unwanted items. Or if you are like me you can put the money towards Christmas this is one of the ways I have afforded some of the gifts which I have purchased this year. This month alone I have managed to make an extra £100. This is £100 which I would not have had if it had not been for eBay which I think is a bargain.

F&F Mustard Jumper

It has been getting a little bit cooler this month and of course this means that it is time to crack out the jumpers.Now this is actually a jumper which I did get this year however, it was at the start of October so this does not mean that they still have them.  This is so fluffy which is what I want because I want to feel cosy of course when I am wearing the jumper. This is one which is long enough as well to wear with a thick pair of leggings because of course you want to be able to go outside. With this been a mustard colour I feel like it is so practical to be teamed with other pieces things. This is a piece which can be kept for a few years as well because it goes well in that transition between autumn and winter when the temperature plummets. I have had so many compliments on the jumper from people who would not normally realise that you was wearing something new. This tells me that it is a really good jumper and must suit me. I seem to remember that this jumper did not break the bank and it was around the £16 mark but got it when they had 25% off clothing.  I might have to pop to Tesco and see if they do it in any other colours because I love it that much.

Treacle Moon- Raspberry Kisses bath and shower gel

This is a shower gel which I meant to include in last months favourites but it has been a favouite this month too. This is a bath and shower gel. I will admit I have only used it in the shower so could not comment on how many bubbles it would make. I have found when using it in the shower that it lathers really well like some of the Lush ones which I love. The scent is amazing I think this is what originally make me purchase this shower gel.  I am not the best at describing some of the scents however, this does smell like it is a not as sweet version of Lush snow fairy.  It is a really nice raspberry scent and of course this is available all year around which is always a bonus. For this huge 500ml bottle it is only £3 and it lasted me over 2 months. You really do not need a lot to able to feel clean. This is the first product which I have tried from Treacle Moon but for sure it is not going to be the last.  There products would be amazing for a Christmas present if you are thinking of doing your own hamper or something similar.

Zoo Tycoon

Some of you may if your as old as me may remember playing this on the PC when you finished school on a night. Recently when I was spending far too much time in game looking at pre owned games so that we could use the xbox one more I found Zoo Tycoon. Of course, I had to purchase this game because for the memories if nothing else but I have had hours of fun using this game. I have been forcing myself to have breaks from house work and blogging while Joe has been away by playing this game. The game did cost £14.99 which I do not think for a game is not too bad for this console. The game is not the same as the one which but me and Joe remember playing there is a lot more challenges. I managed to play an hour or so before it can become a bit repetitive but that always a good thing so I am not spending too much time on it at all. I have found that since playing it a lot Jess has learnt more animals names and she seems to be wanting to play with animals more.

Gel Nails

This is something which I have have been loving this month of course, November was the month of my graduation.  I knew I wanted to have painted nails but wanted to treat myself because of course I am going to end up smudging or chipping my nails. I found a lovely lady who was actually local to me and comes to your house which is a bonus because I was still solo parenting at the time.  She managed to match my dress to the colour even had the sparkles which matched. I would recommend her so if you are close to the Pontefract area let me know and I will actually send you her details. They managed to last for 3 weeks without chipping of course they did start growing out. I am going to get them done again in the new year because I have adored having very pretty nails.

Nars- Palas Royal Satin Lip Pencil

I have been wearing only one lip colour this month which is very rare for me because I loved this the Nars satin lip pencil in Palas Royal. It is such a pretty shade it is a deep raspberry colour it looks beautiful with anything. This is actually the shade which I wore when I graduate it managed to stay on all day and I did not have to reapply and it also was not uncomfortable like I have found some lip pencils to be. This is smart enough to be able to wear at interviews which is another place which I have been using this lipstick. For sure I know I am going to be getting even more use out of this in the upcoming months. I hacve had this lipstick for a fair few months now it may have even been last Christmas when I purchased it and there is still so much left. It is not going to break the bank it is £19 this would be an amazing gift.

What have you been loving in the month of November?

Charlotte xxx

October 2018 Favourites

- cupsofcharlotte Leave a comment

 

It has been a long time since I last did a monthly favorites actually it was only July but it seems a lot longer than that. This is because I have been so busy I have not had time to use products religiously or blog. However, for the 6 weeks there has been some products which I have been using constantly and I love. So today I thought I would share with you my favourite products of October 2018.

Carex Chocolate and Orange Handwash

The first one is a is the Carex Chocolate Orange scented hand wash. I have been doing more washing up and hand washing since we moved house so I need a hand wash which I love. We have two different hand washes both are Carex but I wish we only had the chocolate and orange one. It cleans your hands well as well as leaving the scent lingering for a while. This is great if you are like me and addicted to the smell of the hand wash. I may have to stock up on this because it looks like it could be an exclusive Halloween scent due to the packaging.

This product can be slighlty drying which means you may have to apply some hand cream. If you are anything like me you will have plenty of this.  I am sure I picked the handwash up for around 75p at poundstretcher or B&M.  For sure I will be trying to find it before the end of the Halloween Season.

Wickford Co Halloween Candle

The next item which I have been loving is also a Halloween item technically. It is this Wickford Co Halloween candle these are available in Home Bargains. Despite having a pumpkin on the front the scent is more of a candy scent without been too sweet. This candle if I remember correctly is around the £2.50-3 mark. For this price it has a huge scent I can have it burning in my lounge and it can be smelt all throughout the house. This is something which I have had more expensive candles fail to do. I think I might have to go back and check out some of the Christmas Candles. For sure if you love candles check out Home Bargains.

The Circle

If you have not heard of this show where have you been?. TV is not something which I watch a lot of because I have barely had a tv for a year so it does not bother me. The Circle is a show which we ended up watching every single night even if I did get bored towards the end. Maybe it was half a week too long for me. If you have not seen the show it was on channel 4 and it saw players live in an apartment block with each other. However, they could only speak to other players through the circle.

It was like an experiment to show social media works  there was people catfishing and others choosing not to share everything about themselves. For example Freddie was playing it straight when in fact he is a gay man. There was a lot of game playing going on as they could win 50K if they did not get blocked by the other players. You only got blocked if you were not deemed popular enough by the other players.  It just showed how people did not always appear who they said they were on social media. I would recommend watching this on All 4 if you can.

Fitbit Alta HR

I have owned my fitbit since April but I only used it till about June and then managed to lose it .  A few weeks ago I managed to find it in a box and have been using it ever since. I think I am going to do a full review on it in a couple of weeks time. I am one of those people who move a lot in a short period and then not move for couple of hours. Maybe because I am busy working on my blog and getting sucked in or something similar. One of the features which I love is having a reminder if I have not done the 250 steps in an hour. This does make sure that I do not have too much time which I have not moved for.

I am also able to track my sleep which is something which interests me because I aim to try and get 7 hours but usually fail and then wonder why I am so tired. My fitbit is motivating me to go to sleep and move 10,000 steps a day which is always a bonus. It also makes me on a weekend want to move more when sometimes it can be hard to find the motivation.

Blankets/ Throw

Blankets, well actually a throw which I use as a blanket because it is so big it means that I can get super snuggly. I have it wrapped around my legs the majority of the time when I am on the sofa.  I do not always want to put the heating on. More so while it is just me in the house and Jess is upstairs in bed.I find there is nothing better than been snuggled in the blanket with the lamp on and a candle burning. I usually am either watching the TV, reading a book or even blogging.

As I write this I am snuggled up in my blanket  the one which I have at the moment is one of the extra large throws from Primark.  I think they are around the £16 mark but could be wrong as it is a year ago. They even stay super soft after you have washed them this doesn’t happen with all throws. I would recommend Primark and Dunelm for blankets and throws they seem to have the best quality ones for a reasonable price.

Hello Fresh

Hello fresh is a subscription recipe box which gives you the recipes which you are going to cook. You choose the meals which you have. We have the box which is 5 meals and we have it for two people you can have it for up to 5 people. Jess does not have food at home which is why we have it for 2. Along with the the recipe cards you get the exact amount of the indigence you need. For example say you need 1tbsp of chilli flakes this is what they will send you. This does mean that you do not have to purchase lot of different spices which you may only use once.

I have found that I am making a range of different meals ones which I would not normally be thinking about.  It has also made me want to cook more  even when I am having a break from Hello Fresh. It is so easy to skip a week for example if your not going to be home. This is something I am having to do at the moment regular. I am cooking the meals for two and freezing the other portion. Meaning I have to take a break in order to eat up some of the food. I had one problem with Hello Fresh and it was sorted very quickly which I am so happy with the service. For more about Hello Fresh see their website and you can get £20 off your first box with my link here.

Quidco

Quidco is another one of my favourites this month I have been doing some of my Christmas shopping . I have the quidco widget on my laptop meaning if I can get cashback on a site which I am looking on it will tell me. Then I have to go to quidco which allows my purchase to be tracked and then I get the cashback. Sometimes you do have to wait months to get the physical cash.  I know I have some which is now going to be released in March next year.  You can get cashback on a range of sites which you may order from all the time for example Superdrug and Boots. I have gained about £100 this year which I can put towards presents. Any cashback which does not get confirmed before Christmas I will use next year as a bonus.

What items have you been using this month?

 

Charlotte xx

 

July Favourites 2018

- cupsofcharlotte Leave a comment

It has been such a long time since I shared my favourites of the month. This is usually because I do not have a lot of favourites or I end up forgetting, however, this month I have had a few. They range from a couple of beauty pieces,  some household items, a little bit of food and of course who could forget a few things Jess has been loving.

Raspberry Pavolva

The first item I want to share with you is the Possibility 3 in 1 Raspberry Pavlova. This I only actually use as a shower gel because I am still loyal to my Lush hair care routine.  As some of you may know I used to be obsessed and only use lush shower gel but I thought I would give this a try. Oh wow, the smell of this is so amazing it does actually make me want to be able to drink or eat this.

That is because of the fact it is so nice to smell, sometimes I find that cheaper shower gels do not actually lather up enough.  This is one which does actually lather up so well and it is also mosituring which is something I am finding I am needing because the sun is actually drying out my skin. I was shocked to find that it was only £2 for the huge 500ml which is a fraction of the price of lush.  I think that this is one which I would be purchasing again I want to try some of the other favourites because if they are the same as this I can see myself getting obsessed.

Summer Romance

Body spray is something which I actually love in the summer months because it helps me smell better. When I picked up the Possibility shower gel picked up the Summer Romance body spray. This is something which just before I go out I spray all over the outfit I am wearing.  It smells of berries and floral goodness which of course just has to scream summer to me. The scent does last for a while which is always a bonus because there is nothing worse than having to respray you outfit throughout the day. This body spray is going to last me for a while because it is 250ml and you do not need too much. It was on the 3 for 2 offer and came in at £4.99 so is not going to break the bank either.

Naked Noodles

Noodles are something which I have been loving for the past couple of months. I think this because it is something easy to make for lunch and at the moment I am trying to write as many blog posts as I can before Joe finishes for summer and we move house. So I have found myself when I am bored of sandwiches reaching for Naked Noodles which are Egg Noodles in a range of flavours.

I actually am yet to find a flavour which I do not like which is always a bonus. They are full of flavour which I always like because there is nothing worse than noodles which taste like nothing. They only take about 4 minutes to be ready which as a busy person is something you want.  I have been picking these up when they have been on offer I know you can get them at Asda and Iceland for as little as 75p.

Dyson V6 Trigger

You know when you are getting a little bit older when one of your favourites this month is a hoover.  Yes I am loving the Dyson V6 Trigger which is the handheld hoover which we have currently. This is something which is amazing because it does mean that I can just get it out and clean up the mess which Jess has made.  It is so handy that you can actually take this out to the car as well we always have a messy car because of the amount of time we spend in the car. It does not struggle too much with my hair which is great because I molt more than a dog so sometimes we find it hard.

Even Joe loves it because of how easy it is even cleaning it is so simple.  I managed to get this when it was on offer for around £100.  This is something I know we are going to get even more use out of when we move into the new house.  The only thing which annoys me is that I forget to put it on charger and then sometimes struggle to hoover everywhere I need to.

Micro Trike

The final couple of things which I have been loving this month well technically they are Jess’s. The first one is the Micro Trike this is something which I was fortunate enough to be sent after entering a competition.  This is that good that basically it has replaced her pram which I did not think would happen. Jess uses this to ride to nursery it is a trike which folds down so basically nothing which means that it can be stored so easily.  We have used it in a range of places including Ikea and never had any problems. In the next couple of weeks I hope to have a full review of the trike up but for sure this is something which we have been using every day since we got it.

Orchard Games

The final item which we have been loving this month is the Orchard Games.  I picked them up in Aldi when they had them for £2.99 because we wanted some games so that Jess is not always on Youtube after nursury. I picked up the Teddy Holiday Snaps which is basically snap, Holiday Heads & Tails which is where you have to match the pictures in order to win and the final one we have it a counting game. Where you have to spin the spinner and then find the number of shells on a card. The one who wins is the one who has the most sandcastles.  These games have kept us all entertained and have actually been so fun and Jess is learning every time when play. I have actually found Jess playing this on her own. This just shows how much she loves the games.

What have you been loving this month?

 

Charlotte xxx