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Date Ideas For Busy Parents

- Charlotte Leave a comment

Going on dates is something which all of doing when we are dating, however, once you actually have children it is hard to find a lot of time to go on dates. This is because you either are doing things which are related to them, for example, we now spend a lot of our weekends spending time doing toddler-friendly things such as going to museums or the park which might not be things we did if we didn’t have a child. Doing housework is something which you spend a lot more time doing because toddlers as we have found make more mess which means you have to spend more time cleaning and tidying.

 Today I have decided that I am going to share with you some tips which busy parents could use as date ideas because as we all know Valentine’s Day is upcoming and we all want to woo that special person and show them that the love is still there despite having a child.
The idea is why if your schedules allow instead of having date nights have date days, for example, Friday afternoon is a time when both of us are usually free. We have found that we actually can go to restaurant Wildwood which is a chain. They do food which Jess would eat, however, I know I would feel very uncomfortable their should she kick off which is why we do not eat there with her. There is a branch in the York which is only 20 minutes away from Jess’s nursery which means should she need collecting she could be very quickly. If you have not read the review which I did I recommend going to check it out. Of course, you can go to a restaurant that you enjoy maybe one which you have been to pre-children.
There is no need to leave your own house you could actually get a dine-in meal that m&s became kings a few years ago because you get a bottle of wine a main, side and deserts for between £10-20. This is something which you could do while your child is upstairs sleeping meaning that you do not actually even need a babysitter. As we all know they can be hard to come by. To make it even more romantic you could burn candles and play romantic music like you are actually in a restaurant.
If going to the cinema is something which you liked to do pre-children. Why do you not get some snacks such as sweets and popcorns from the shop and stream a movie because you now do not have to wait as long as you used to in order to see films on DVD. For example, I know that the most recent Thor movie was available within 3 months and this is not that long compared to what it used to be a few years ago. As some of you might know things do not seem to be at the cinema for as long either which is not great when you have to plan trips rather than a spontaneous trip. Also, it can be a lot cheaper than going to the cinema which is always great if you are saving for a house like me.
If you can actually get a babysitter you could book a weekend away it does not have to be somewhere that is a distance away. For example, Newcastle is somewhere which I am visiting at the start of April which is only about an hour and a half away. Make sure that you have someone to look after the children because it is illegal just to leave them at home when they are so young. Exploring a new place and creating some amazing memories is something which would make a special date. Even if you do this once a year this may be worth it, for example, I have a post coming up about something which we have done in order to have a date weekend.
What do you do to still have some romance while being a busy parent?
Charlotte xxx

Just Because I’m A Young Parent

- Charlotte 1 Comment
Young Parent

The amount of times that I have had people stare at me or judge me because I am a young parent is shocking. I have had occasions when I have heard people bitching about me when on public transport. One time a lady sat a couple of seats away from me was like oh look she can’t control her child she shouldn’t have had her I’m guessing she was a mistake. The reason that Jess was kicking off was that she was overtired after a long day at nursery and the train was rather warm.

I was 20 when I gave birth to Jess so you could say that it is young to become a parent.  I was at the end of my second year when I had her 3 weeks off starting my final year of university. So as you can imagine from my circumstances I was not really ready to become a parent I was living in uni accommodation. A week after giving birth I moved over 100 miles back home to live with my parents in order to give her the best start in life.

Just because I am a young parent does not mean that I spend all of my time at home as a stay at home mum claiming benefits. Due to the way, the academic year falls I had to do it for a year before I went back to university in September 2016. I knew that it was a short-term situation and since then have not been on benefits I do get child benefit like everyone who has children as well as extra student finance due to my situation.  Jess has never been a child that will go without anything that she needs she always has enough clothing, food, toys everything which a toddler needs. Having a child young for us doesn’t mean that we are not giving her everything she needs while we save for a family house.

Young parents have no ambition is something else which I have heard well I think I just prove everyone wrong with this at the moment I am in the last few months of my degree. I really want to continue and improve my self by studying in order to give Jess the best childhood I can.  I really do not want to be someone who is in a job which they hate possibly on minimum wage not that there is anything wrong with that. For me, I want to be a positive role model for Jess showing her young mums and women, in general, can be anything they want to be. As long as they put their mind to it.

Another thing which I hear a lot is that young parents are more likely to palm their children off on grandparents.  I am very lucky that my parents will offer to have Jess overnight maybe once a month so that I can have some time off Usually this time is spent either doing uni work or sleeping nothing crazy at all. I know a few people at least who have children who are younger than Jess and they seem to be out every single weekend sometimes during the week as well drinking. Just because they are doing it doesn’t mean every single young parent is doing the same. I for one know that when Jess is away it is time to recover and try and distress I can not think of anything worse than battling a hangover.

 

Blogger Interview Tag

- Charlotte 2 Comments

Hi Guys

Today I have another tag because I know you love to read them so I keep making them for you. Today I was tagged by the lovely Rach from Sunshine,Smiles and Fairy Dust. You should check her out if you haven’t all ready.

This tag allows you to know me a little bit better and also find out why I started blogging information which you may find interesting I hope you do anyway on with the tag,

1. How did you get into blogging?

I had been watching youtube videos for a while and thought I could do this but I was to scared to do that. However I knew most youtubers had blogs so I decided that was what I was going to do. I am now confident with my blog I am thinking about launching onto youtube very soon let me know what you think should I or shouldn’t I.

2. What advice would you give bloggers starting out?

I would say to them do it because you want to and always be yourself because you can tell when people are faking it. If you enjoy it I promise it will become natural. I never thought I was enjoy blogging as much as I do but after all this time I still do and can not imaging life without my blog now. 

3. What would be your dream campaign?

Seen as my blog is a bit of everything due to the fact that it reflects my life it is one which I find hard to answer but I am sure it would be a campaign which was going to do some good and effect people lives in a positive way. 

4. Do you have a plan for your blog?

Nope I don’t really plan anything up until having Jess I didn’t really plan anything I would not even plan a months time because I really didn’t see the point but now I have life plans. However I want just to see where my blog goes and takes me in my life. As long as you are reading I will continue to write.
I would love to nominate the following bloggers:
I hope you enjoyed this post and checked out the amazing girls I have mentioned in this post
Charlotte x

  

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water Review

- Charlotte Leave a comment

Hi Guys

I know this is a product which has been available for a while and it is one which I have been using for at least 9 months now. I don’t just use this as my only cleanser I use it as the first part of the routine on a night and use it as my only one in a morning usually.

Instead of squirting some out on to a cotton pad and wiping it around my face like I think most people use this product. I have poured so much of this product into an empty spray bottle which I picked up from superdrug, Then I either spray my face with it and wipe with a cotton pad or spray onto the cotton pad and then wipe my face,

I have found this product to be very gentle on my face it removes all my make up on a night which is what I want from my first cleanse and then in a morning it wakes my skin up and removes anything which has been produced overnight such as any remaining facemasks.

This product is amazing because it is so easy to use it and this means that I don’t have to use facewipes when I come in from a night out or when I am so sleepy and really don’t want to do my whole skincare routine. This product now can be purchased in a smaller size bottle than it used to be which is handy for travel because the big bottle lasts for months due to the fact that you need so little for this product to be so effective,

Have you tried this or have a recommendation for something similar I should try?

Charlotte x

September Empties

- Charlotte Leave a comment
Hi Guy
Today I decided that I was going to share with you all the products which I have used up in the month of September. This is not something which I do monthly due to the fact that normally worth it as I use the same products up on a monthly basis so this would be so repetitive. 
The first product is the Boots Natural Collection Strawberry Body Spray. I used this up by giving a myself a few squirts of it when I had changed my clothes or when I was bored and wanted to smell nice. I think I have had this product so long that they no longer actually sell it. The scent to me was a little bit too sweet towards the end but again this could have just been me. I am just going to use another  body spray which I have in my collection instead of rushing out to repurchase this or a similar scent.
The face cream which I have used up this month was the MeMeMe Cosmetics Seventh Heaven Face Base. This was something which I received in a goodie bag from the brand at FABB Birmingham last year. I have slowly being using it and decided I was going to just use this and get rid of it. It is a lovely thick primer which absorbs into the skin very quickly and leaves it smooth ready for makeup application. I would repurchase this possibly again in the future but I have loads of these kind of products to use up. You can purchase this for £15 here.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation I used to be constantly using this foundation however I started just flicking between the ones I owned and left this with basically hardly anything left in it. I decided that I was only going to use this one until it had ran out. I remembered again why I loved this foundation. I have another bottle of this at uni however I want to use some of the other foundations which I own because I have a fair few open. You can purchase this foundation here for £8.99 but Boots currently have Rimmel on 2 for £10.

Shampoo is something which I try a range of different brands this month saw me us the rest of the Timotei Vivid Colour Shampoo. This is a shampoo which I picked this up in Tesco for about £1 this is a shampoo which I did not think was too bad for a cheap shampoo. This one which if I found again I would repurchase because of the fact that i did leave my hair clean and I could leave it two or three days between washes,

Finally I used up the Nip and Fab Glycolic Fix Cleanser this cleanser left my face feeling ridiculously clean, I would totally repurchase this item when I use up some more of my cleansers because I will admit I have a fair few. You would not believe how much my skin cleaned up while I was using this. You can purchase this here for £7.95 but Boots have skincare on 3 for 2 currently.

What have you used this month?

Charlotte x

Throwback Birchbox September 2014

- Charlotte Leave a comment

Hi Guys

Today I am going to be kicking off a new series here on my blog every month until January. I have been debating getting Birchbox or another beauty subscription box service again recently. However when I think about it I have loads of the products that I received still unused.

This month I have decided that I am going to have a look at the products which I received in my September Birchbox 2014. A year ago the birchbox theme was Happy days and all about been happy the products which where in the box where supposed to make you feel like this. So lets see how many of them I have used . All pictures have been taken from Birchbox website

The first item which I received was the Korres Citrus body milk. I will admit this is still a product which I have not used it is actually sat in a bag in my uni room waiting for me to finish up the huge body shop shower gel which I have been using for a year at uni. So this is the reason that this product has not been used it is because I have actually being using the same shower gel for a year however if I hadn’t I would have used this up before now. So I will say it is an item which I was grateful for and still am. 
Benefit it’s potent eye cream I didn’t really use eye cream until I found this product in my draw again a couple of months ago. I have been using this ever since and have about 50% of it left which you could say is me doing well. I would not have purchased this item if I had not received this in a subscription box. I think I would just purchase a more purse friendly eye cream as it is not something I need massively at the moment. 
Beauty Blender I actually sold this one due to the fact that I already had one however I have not found myself reaching for this product. I either use my Wilkos stippling brush which you will see in a haul soon or the real techniques buffing brush to apply my base products. Maybe I should have a hunt for my beauty blender and see if I actually get on with it and give it another chance.
Agave Healing Oil Treatment this is something which is still sat in my stash due to the the fact that I have a Avon hair oil which I use if I apply any oil to my hair. This is only a 4ml sample as well so I don’t think it would actually take me long to use it up if I tried maybe 4/5 applications. This is something which I could have happily not received due to the fact that I hardly use hair oil anyway. 
The final beauty product which was in this box was the Model Co Lip Lacquer in Viva lipgloss is not something which I ever really reach for this is due to the fact that I find them very sticky and my hair ends up in it. I think I have only ever swatched this item. Maybe when I am looking for a very neutral lip and not bother about how long it lasts I might reach for this and try and get it used up. 
Urban Fruit Pineapple snack this is a product which I have used full up I ate them not long after receiving them in the box. I have actual purchased these since having them so this is something I am glad that I tried because I am unsure if I would have picked them up previously. 
Birchbox photo holder I will admit this is a product which is still sat on my window sill at home in the packaging because I am not a person who will take a lot of photos and print them off. I am yet to really find a use for this product. 
So I have used fully one product and started another one so 2/7 of these products have been used in a year. This is not one of the most loved box as you can see I almost wasted my money on this.
Did you get this box if so which products have you used?
Charlotte x

Book Review: Bridesmaids By Jane Costello

- Charlotte 2 Comments

Hey Guys

As you might remember in my September goals I mentioned the fact that I was going to try and read two books a month. Well you will be glad to know that I have completed the first book and what better way to celebrate then to share a review with you.

The Blurb

” With less than an hour to go before her best friend is to walk down the aisle, Evie is attemtping to fulfill her most important as a bridesmaid: to deposit the bride at the start-line. Although the odds appear stacked against her, she at least has her new ‘chicken fillets’ to boost her confidence. Until that is, they are witnessed popping out of her dress by the dazzlingly handsome Jack.

 Evie is twenty-seven, a sparkly,down-to-earth journalist who has never been in love and has started to think that she never will be. Small wonder then that the prospect of so many impending weddings fills her with utter trepidation.

When Jack starts becoming a regular fixture at the nuptials however things really start looking up. Only between her discovery that he’s dating the self-obsessed Valentina and an unfortunate incident with a 10-inch vibrator, not everything goes quite as Evie might have hoped’.

My Views

I never thought that I would fall for such a romantic book usually I love it when there is a huge twist. However when I was reading this book I stayed up way past my bed time last night because I just couldn’t put it down before I finished it.


The story line is so predictable. It offers the common formula of a love story found in chick lits but this book is so easy to follow you hardly have to think as you are reading it.
The only critisms I  have of this book is the unrealistic characters and the ending. The characters are meant to be really funny however this can make them seem so fake and not realistic. The only who characters who I can relate in life are Evie and Jack the others seem very fake and almost fictional if that makes any sense. 
This book you can guess the ending before you actually reach anywhere near it which really was a downside for me because I felt like I was reading it the last sections just to be proved right which kind of annoyed me. 
Have you read this book if so what did you think of it?
Charlotte x

This or that tag

- Charlotte 4 Comments

Hey Guys

When I was reading some of the amazing of my fellow bloggers old post I found this tag which I really enjoyed so I thought it was time that I shared with you guys due to the fact that I thought you might find  it interesting.

Makeup:
Blush or Bronzer – Blush
Lip gloss or Lipstick – Lipstick 
Eyeliner or Mascara – Mascara
Foundation or Concealer – Both but concealer is needed more
Neutral or Colour eyeshadow – Neutral eyeshadow
Pressed or Loose eye shadows – Pressed eye shadows
Brushes or Sponges – Brushes

Nails:
OPI or China glaze – OPI
Long or Short – Inbetween I love long but short are more practical
Acrylic or Natural – Natural
Brights or Darks – Brights
Flower or No Flower –  No Flower

Body:
Perfume or Body Splash – Perfume
Lotion or Body Butter- Body Butter
Body Wash or Soap – Body Wash
Lush or other bath company – Lush haven’t really tried many non lush

Fashion:
Jeans or Sweat Pants – Neither but at the moment sweat pants
Long sleeve or Short – Short with hoodie over the top
Dresses or Skirts – Dresses
Stripes or Plaid – Stripes
Flip flops or Sandals – Neither but flip flops if I have to choose
Scarves or Hats – Scarves
Studs or Dangly earrings – Studs but I always forget them 
Necklaces or Bracelets – Bracelets but I do wear necklaces
Heels or Flats – Depending on the occasion
Cowboy boots or Riding boots – Cowboy boots
Jacket or Hoodie – Hoodie they are my best friends
Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe – Forever 21 I’ve not heard of Charlotte Russe
Abercombie or Hollister – Neither? 
Saks 5th or Nordstrom –  don’t know these stores?

Hair:

Curly or Straight – Straight/ Wavy 
Bun or Ponytail – Both 
Bobby Pins or Butterfly Clips – Bobby pins
Hair spray or Gel – Hair spray
Long or Short – Long
Light or Dark – Light
Side Sweep Bangs or Full Bangs – Side sweep bangs
Up or Down – Both 

Random:
Rain or Shine – Shine
Summer or Winter – Summer
Fall or Spring – Both
Chocolate or Vanilla – Either
East coast or West Coast- Both of the UK. 

I hope you enjoyed this tag and learn more about me. Let me know in the comments below if you do this tag and leave your links. I will be sure to check them out.

Charlotte x

September Goals

- Charlotte 6 Comments

Hi Guys

I have decided at he start of every month that I am going to set goals which I want to achieve for that month and then at the start of the next month I will update you and tell you if I achieved them. Some of my goals are going to be blogging related some are going to be personal/life,

1.Reach 150 Bloglovin’ followers- I currently have 147 followers which means that I only need 3 more of you lovely people to follow me. This may seem a small amount of followers compared to some people but to me you all mean something special. My link can be found on the side bar. 

2,Reach 500 Twitter followers- I currently have 488 followers I can not believe that so many of you want to read my rambles. This is where if you want to contact me you are more likely to get a response from me. I am always up for a chat. My twitter handle is @BWSheep. 
3.Manage to read two books for pleasure– Reading for pleasure is not something which I have done for a long time because of the fact that if I read usually it is something for uni. However in the last few weeks I have got back into the swing of reading and really enjoyed it. I am aiming to read two books as month however this may decrease to one next month when uni comes back into play. 
4.Paint my nails at least once a week–  Seen as I am not at work this month where I have to take my nail varnish off means that I can actually enjoy painting my nails again. I hope to find some of my old favourite nail polishes and give them so love which they deserve again.
5. Get a blogging schedule-  This is something which I tried to start in August but then failed towards the end of the month. I am currently writing this post on my mum’s laptop because mine is broken however I will either be getting mine fixed this week or getting a new one. I hope to post 3/4 times a week which hopefully be Monday, Wednesday, Friday and a bonus one on Sunday if I do post 4 times a week. Let’s see how long this lasts 
 
What are your goals for the month ahead?

Charlotte x 

What’s On My Face #2

- Charlotte 6 Comments
Hi Guys
I have decided that I am going to do an update of a post which I did in January which is what’s on my face. If this is something which you are interested in maybe this could be a monthly or every so many months kind of series.
To keep my eyeshadow in place all day I have been using the ELF eyeshadow primer in Champagne. I know  now this product has become really hard to get your hands on in the UK however have heard that the Freedom eye primer is very similar to this so I may get my hands on this when I am looking for my next drugstore primer instead of using my Urban Decay one every single day.  This primer keeps my eyeshadow on all day even with brands which I know would have worn away before if it was not for the use of a primer.
The eyeshadows which I have been using recently have been more than likely from the Make Up Revulation Flawless pallete.  They are some of the most pigmented eyeshadows which I have seen which you can pick up for not very much money at all. The shades are all very wearable which is unlikely when you have so many shades in one pallete usually there is a few in which you will never use. I am going to have a full review of this pallete and swatches in a future post so keep your eyes  peeled to see which shades I use the most.

Due to it been the summer months eye liner is not a product which I reach for due to the fact that I like to lighten my face up as much as I can so harsh black eyeliner is not something which graces my face.  So the last item which I used on my eyes is the Maybelline sensational drama mascara in Black. This product is one which I could rave about all week I promise I will not in this post but may have to do a post all about it. This mascara has stopped me reaching for the fake eyelashes because it can transform my lashes into fake ones with just a few applications.

The concealer which I have been using to make sure that the dark circles have been concealed is the Rimmel wake me up in Ivory. I have done a review on this product here so if you want to read my thoughts on it you can but let me just say in this post I don’t know where I would be without this gem.
 
The primer which I have been applying to my face in order to make my pores look smaller and my foundation apply better is the Benefit Porefessional. As you can see I only have a sample of this which I think I received in a goody bag from an event I attended.  I don’t mind this product I think it does the job which it states it will do but the one thing which puts me off purchasing the full size is one the price and the other is it can feel a bit greasy on my skin.

For foundation I have been mixing the Bourjois CC cream in Ivory and the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 52 Vanilla. I have found that this then gives me the perfect amount of coverage which I want and both shades work for me as the cc cream is slightly too light and the foundation is a shade I think to dark so blend a pump of each on the back of my hand and blend then I have the perfect shade.

The blush I have been using recently is the Sleek blush inRose Gold I feel like this gives me the perfect amount of glow without looking to glittery I just apply a light coverage of this on to my cheeks to give me some colour. This is a product which I have been using for a long time and am actually going to be sad when it runs out completely.

On my lips has been the Maybelline colour drama pencils inthe shades In the Coral and Fuchsia Desire. I have not been wearing both at the same time before you think that but  have been wearing either one or the other for the longest time. I feel like these are so easy to wear and they make me so confident and last a long time. I think these products might have to have a whole post dedicated to them in the next few weeks. I love them that much.

What has been on your face recently? Also let me know if you would like a review of any of the products mentioned and I will get one done.

Charlotte x