7 Things... A New Month

As you may already know, I have been taking part in the 7 Things post, created by the wonderfully inspiring,  Sprinkle of Glitter, Louise. As we are about to go into August, I thought I would update you all with which 7 Things I am going to be concentrating on for the next few weeks, and maybe even month. And also to let you know how I got on last month.

Last Month.....

My little girly space!

1.) Get Organised - As you probably already know, I am getting a little obsessed with storage solutions, but I still haven't got everything just as I want it so I am going to concentrate on one area a week until it is just how I like it. This week I will be working on my Walk In Wardrobe (it's not as posh as it sounds!).
Hurrah! The wardrobe is now complete. I kidnapped Brett and ventured down to Ikea where I picked up some simple drawers and some of those wonderful drawer organisers. I also grabbed various pots and jars to keep things in and a small simple purple rug. The whole room is now sorted, bar the fact that once the rest of my clothes come from my storage centre I may need some more hanging space. Once I had everything straight I realised that there was plenty of room to have a little sitting area to do my make up and get ready. I also use this little space to read a book or watch a girly film when I feel like some 'me' time.


If you are interested in a full blog post or video on my wardrobe please let me know and I will do it :)

2.) Get Active - Up until around 6 months ago, I was working hard at eating healthier and doing more exercise, but since my illness, I have not really done that much, and the pounds I lost have been creeping back on. So my plan is to workout at least 2-3 times a week and try and get more activity back into my life to try and lose those pounds again!
Well I better be honest and say that while I have been poretty good with doing sit ups and push ups etc, I have been pretty awful at actually doing anything that will actually burn off the calories. In my defence, I am still struggling wiht my joint pain and that doesn't make things easy. However I really do need to get a rocket up my bum and get on with loosing some weight. Help anyone??


3.) Stick to my Diet - In line with the same as the above, I have been doing a bit of YoYo dieting which is never a good move, I really need to stick to the plan, which currently is Rosemary Conley's Inch Loss Plan. I am determined to stick to this, and I will of course report back the results.
I did pretty well with eating, and still am. I have been cutting out snacks and eating healthier meals. However I do still need to find a diet I enjoy and stick to it as currently I haven't found one I enjoy enough to stay at for a long period of time. Answers on a postcard please.


4.) Get Reading - I used to be quite an avid reader! But other time, I have read less and less, especially with all my prised books being tucked away in storage at the moment. However, I have been taking books out of my local library but never actually get around to reading them. I have just taken out My Sisters Keeper, and I am determined to read this book!
So, I didn't really get in to My Sisters Keeper, which is a shame as I have been wanting to read it for some time. However, 50 Shades of Grey on the other hand, is a pretty decent read and I have the 2nd one lined up for when I have finished it. My mum has also suggested I read Rebecca, so I will be looking for that at the library next time I go.


5.) Blogging - This seems like a bit of a cop out, as clearly I already do this regularly, but what I mean is, I want to write more interesting posts and find my individuality within the world of blogging. Any suggestions? Let me know in the comments or drop me an email hattiecc@live.co.uk
Let's be honest. Complete epic fail. My laptop wasn't working, my iPad wouldn't do as I asked, and all around a pretty pathetic effort. I will do better I promise.

6.) Chill Out - Probably sounds almost selfish, but to be honest I just don't know how to 'chill'. I allow myself to get very stressed out and tired, which does not help my illness, and don't spend enough time taking time out for myself, so this week I want to take some quiet time, face masks, long baths, meditation and some trips to the Health Spa. 
Well other than things beyond my control, I think I succeeded. We went on a Spa weekend, which was fab and I plan to go again which my mum soon. We had a weekend in Edinburgh. I've also put my little room/wardrobe to use of doing a bit of pampering. So a good effort here!


7.) Get financially sensibles! - Since I had to give up my job due to my illness, I have found it increasingly difficult to getting used to having no pennies of my own! My husband (God Bless Him) is fantastic at supporting us both and works very hard at doing so. However I need to learn that I can not just go on my little willy nilly shopping trips anymore, and need to start planning what to do with my 'allowance' as such! But I am sure you all know how difficult it is to resist the latest lipstick, the drawer of a new nail colour, and even worse I have a swish Mac store down the road! I haven't bought anything yet though so at least I am controlling that!
I am unbelieveably impressed with myself here! I have only been to Primark once! (Haul coming soon to my YouTube channel) And I have been really reserved with shopping. So if I keep on the straight and narrow, I may get a nice holiday or something. :)






So there is how I got on last month.... what shall I concentrate on this month??


My New 7 Things...


1. Sleep! This is top of my list as I have extremely bad trouble sleeping. I think my worst example in recent weeks was still being awake when Brett got up for work. Bad times. I have medication from the doctor, but it isn't helping any more. So I need to change it maybe, but also I want to find other things that can help. Ie, mobile phone banned from bedroom, no TV an hour before bed, reading, a mattress topper and some fluffy pillows, anything that gives me a slim chance of sleeping! If anyone out there has any advice or ideas, please let me know as I am going out of my mind!


2. Getting Organized: The Kitchen Chapter. So I have done the wardrobe and now its the turn of the kitchen. I am pretty sorted in this room, but its not husband proof so I need to come up with a system that works for everyone. 


3. Lose Some Weight: I know I started this last month, but this is going to be ongoing. I think my plan is do the weekly updates like I did before, give me a bit of a push and reason not to fail. Any support with this is openly welcomed.


4. Cherish The Memories: I have loads of photos on memories cards, on my pc and prints from years back. I want to get some matching albums, and try and make some order of it all. My Nana and Grandad have a really impressive photo collection, with every moment documented. I love nothing more than looking through them all with my Nana, and I want to be able to do the same with my future children and grand children.


5. Spend Quality Time with Brett: Since we moved to Glasgow, Brett works a lot and I have been ill a lot and we have fallen into a routine. I want us to start going out a bit more and enjoying each others company without the the mundane routine of everyday life. So I think we are going to go to some them parks and nice restaurants and just have some 'us' time.


6. Swimming: I know I already have the 'Lose Weight' but I am making this seperate, as I alwasy think to myself 'I'll go swimming tomorrow' and then don't go. I really love swimming, and the pool is included at my gym, complete with sauna, jacuzzi and steam room. So I really want to go a couple of times a week.


7. Plan a Holiday: Last but by no means least, I want to plan a trip[, it may not be until next year, but I want to know we are going to go and have a nice break away from work, college, the stresses of routine life and just have some fun, relax on a beach or whatever. We want to go somewhere, neither of us have been, so I will have to look far and wide.


So these are my new 7 Things. What do you think? Any advice or suggestions? Comment down below with the link to your 7 Things if you are involved? I'd love to see what you are up to.


Thanks Lovables xxx

Chit Chat: Lost In Translation and FOMO

Have you ever got into a fight with a friend, a boyfriend or a family member by getting lost in translation? What I mean by this is a text message taken the wrong way? An email taken in the wrong context? A Facebook status 'aimed' at you or them? This is the era of the electronic message and the social networking frenzy.

How many times 10 years ago did you hear people say, 'Well she said on Facebook....'. Never. How many times did you hear, 'Well then they sent me a snobby email....'. Never. And how many time's did you get into a row through text messaging? That's correct, never.

Well things have changed. The internet is full of social networking websites, with Facebook having over 800,000,000 active users. Public rows on twitter are all the more common. Kids as young as 4 or 5 are getting mobile phones for there birthday and email is the new letter. I write to my Nana at least once or twice a week via email. It is the new 'correspondence'. And I have to be honest I really miss the excitement of a letter (a real letter, not a bill) dropping through my door. It's almost somewhat inconvenient. Two week's I applied for a job with a large well known company. I very nearly missed my interview as they sent me an email rather than a letter. I have now learned that nearly all companies now do this.

Anyway, my main subject of this post is the one of the drama caused by this new technology. In fact I was quite surprised that when doing some research for this post, when I typed 'Divorce caused...' the search engine's first option to finish my sentence was in fact 'Divorce caused by Facebook'! It is claimed that Facebook is now involved in a massive one third of divorces. You can read plenty of stories about this on a website created especially for the cause, http://facebookcheating.com/

With social networking taking over what seems like the world, then there is the new obsession with mobile phones. I have lost count of the amount of times I have had issues relating to mobile phones, text messaging, etc. The new 'Smart Phone' Era is a upon us and with it comes 'FOMO', (Fear of Missing Out). With access to Facebook, Twitter, SMS, What's App and goodness knows what else, people have there phones permanently glued to their hands. At work I was constantly telling people to put their phones away. And on more than one occasion people that had called in sick were caught out by updating there Facebook status. I have also had to deal with squabbles of 'Well they put on Facebook blah blah blah'. To be honest, its just a pain in the neck.

As for texting, well that can be one hell of a dangerous thing. I have to be honest, I am one of the millions of people under the SMS Spell. I find it so much easier to send a text than to make a phone call. But more often that not, a text can be miss read. An argument started just because something wasn't read right. Then there are the texts that get sent to the wrong person. Ever done that before? I'm sure you have. Oh and then there's that temptation to have a look at your partners phone, which by the way if you are having that thought, you are probably in the wrong relationship.

We all know it't true. We all know that it's gone beyond the healthy level. The will things ever be like they used to be now. No, of course not. We are all just going to have to learn to deal with the new social networking era, over come the need to look at our phones every few minutes.



Have you ever had a bad experience caused by electronic communications?
Comment below and let me know your thoughts. xxx

Chit Chat: I'm Back and So Sorry!

Oh my goodness how long has it been! I am so sorry! My laptop charger packed up and its taken forever for the replacement to arrive! I was hoping I was still going to be able to blog using my iPad but that didn't work out. So I am really sorry that I have been gone so long.

Anyway, this is just a little post to say I am back and normal service will be resumed, both here and on my youtube channel!! I've got lots to talk about. Me and Brett have been away on a little spa break where we had a wonderful time. It's also been my birthday so I have a 'Birthday Haul' to show you. Also I have reverted back to my original (well nearly) hair colour of blonde, which has been a long and painful experience! So perhaps it has been a blessing in disguise that I have not been on camera lol!

Anyway, like I said I will be back as normal from now. How is everyone? Hope you are all well! Thanks loveables xx

My Review of: Benefit 'That Gal' Primer

I got this little Sample free with Glamour magazine, and had I known what a bargain I was getting I would of bought several copies and stocked up! Not only that, I would of picked up the other gifts also, POREfessional and That Gal Mascara. I have wanted to try Benefit products for a while, but not got around to it. There is so much out there that I want to try, it is sort of lucky dip to what gets chosen.

Anyway, I grabbed this when I saw it and the sample is a pretty hefty size, 7g. The full size product is 11g for £21.50. So I am furious with myself that I didn't grab a whole host of these when I could. As I am sure you all know by now, the magazines flew off the shelves (as I suspect will be the case with this months Elle, free St Tropez!!) and you couldn't find them anywhere!

I have been using this product almost daily since I got this, and I think I have only used about two thirds, so well worth buying if you are looking for a decent primer. While £21.50 seems pretty steep, this is undoubtedly the best primer I have ever used. As you can imagine, I have tried a lot! The primer smooths on with a lovely refreshing smell, leave to sink in for a few moments, and this provides an amazing base for any foundation.
I have used this with my high end foundations, to my bargain ones, and each it time it has improved the wear of my make-up. I highly recommend this product. You know me, I'm more of a high-street kind of girl, but for this I would push the boat out and spend the pennies.

Chit Chat | New 'Chit Chat' video's & A Weekend at Home

After a lovely weekend at home (well, home town, Peterborough) seeing my mum and my friendlies, I am now back in Glasgow recovering. By recovering I mean from doing lots of things I shouldn't really do at the weekend, and making myself iller than usual! Bad Hattie! Never the less, we had a great time and we picked up my brum brum Big Mac (named by my brother, the previous owner, he told me I am not allowed to change the name lol).

Getting there was horrendous, and you'll know this if you follow the news. There were awful train delays from Edinburgh down to Newcastle, due to severe flooding and landslides. Myself and Brett weren't getting stressed about it as we knew it was out of everyone's hands. However we did get stressed with the some useless members of staff who clearly knew less about was happening than we did, but never mind. It took us 11 hours to get to Peterborough, but we made it in the end.

L2R Coral, Ivan, Me, Jason This is not from this weekend. But it was Ivan's Bday! This pic is from Jason's Bday.
Coral, Ivan and Jason are brothers and sister, and they are like family to me xx

We went to a great Birthday BBQ on Saturday and had a wonderful time! Plenty of drinks flowing and lots of gorgeous food. Afterwards we were heading into town, and this is where I should of stopped, but I was having such a great time with my friends and letting my hair down for the first time in months (if you are regular reader of my blog you will know I have been unwell for a while). We partied into the night, and although I didn't really feel drunk, just merry, over the course of the whole day I know I drank a lot. Add into the mixture I had been wearing heals all night and you can imagine how I felt when I woke up. Awful. My legs were so painful and I felt awfully sick. No normal hangover. I won't moan on for ages as this was self inflicted, but it is just another example of not being able to live a normal life just now. Anyway, I am still feeling crappy, and that was 4 days ago now!

So, we had such a good night, we thought it would be a bad idea to drive Big Mac back up to Glasgow at 5pm as planned, and decided to sleep off any remaining booze, and drive through the night. We spent the day at Brett's Mums feeling sorry for ourselves (I'm going to put in yet another apology here to people who text me, I get no signal at Brett's mums, I was not being ignorant!!!) and then headed back to my mums for the most yummy tea she made us. Brett headed up to bed and I stayed awake to get sorted for the journey!

At 00.45am I woke Brett and we got on the road, where I finally went to sleep! Hurrah! Only for 3 hours total though. I cannot tell you what a relief it was to get into bed the next evening, I slept for 12 hours.

Anyway, enough about that! I want to let you know, that I am now doing 'Chit Chat's' on my YouTube channel! I thought some people may interested and sometimes, it is just nice to chat away. I am not going to have two separate channels for this, so if you are only interested in hauls and beauty related videos, don't watch any that start 'Chit Chat'. So you can watch the first one here.

I think I may have rambled on for a little bit too long today, so I am going to leave it there. Look out for my June Favourites video and blog post coming up soon. I also have an Avon Haul video coming up, to be followed by my monthly Avon Review blog post.

Just one last little thing, if you have been having problems seeing all your Subscriptions videos since YouTube made their changes, go and check out this video by GossMakeUpArtist, which explains what is going wrong. While your there, subscribe to his videos! He has two channels, both about beauty. I think one is for like Hauls and Tutorials and one is more for chatty reviews. Either way, both worth a look.

As always any suggestions or questions, comment down below, or drop me an email hattiecc@live.co.uk.

Thanks Loveables xx