My week in pictures #15

I'm going to admit it, these posts are called "my week in pictures" but I just cannot seem to do them weekly. I don't Instagram enough of my life snippets in one week in order to produce one of these posts for you guys. Therefore, and I hope this is ok with you, I'm going to keep the title the same and just post them when I have enough pictures to do so. I really enjoy writing these posts so I'm not scrapping them they just won't be weekly as the title suggests.

With the apology out of the way I've had a pretty busy week (or so) both in and out of work. Don't get me wrong I love being busy and keeping myself busy, but it is definitely nice every now and then to have a bit of a chill out. I haven't had my chill out yet so I'm holding out for next weekend although I still have plans but it should be more chilled than the past week.

So recently I've started the 30 day ab challenge, for the second time, hence the first picture. My dog clearly decided mid work out that it would be a great time to get her ball and want to play, I disagree. But the ab challenge, I believe I'm now on day 23, is so difficult. I keep pushing myself as I don't want to quit it again but the past few days have been getting pretty hard! I think I may do a blog post once I've finished and do a full review on how I got on etc.

Now I'll be very British and talk about the weather, it's been beautiful the past week minus this weekend just gone. It's actually been very hot and bare leg weather, woo hoo. Fingers crossed it actually sticks around, I mean it is June and all. So this Asos skirt I recently purchased was able to make an appearance. These denim button up skirts have been everywhere and in every shop over the past month or so. I then noticed one in the tall section and instantly put it into my basket. Being tall is such a pain when it comes to finding clothes that are long enough and Asos tall section is amazing.

Therefore I've had a busy past couple of weeks and cannot wait for some down time over the next couple of weeks. If you're after some down time with a good film to watch I definitely recommend Safe Haven if you haven't seen it (pictured above). It's a really good, gripping romantic film so perfect for us girls. I hope you're all having a lovely week :-)

Sudocrem Skin Care Cream

So I recently wrote a Tips & Tricks post where I spoke about all of the amazing wonders of Sudocrem. I was then contacted about this product from Sudocrem which is their Skin Care Cream. It sounded like such an amazing, adapted concept with lots of other benefits. This particular product is aimed at maintaining healthy skin and can be used within part of your every day skin care routine. The benefits of this product are what stood out to me so I was super excited when I got the chance to try this product out.

This product is suitable for all skin types and works really well with spot prone skin which is obviously great for me as I suffer with that skin type. You can use this product in so many different ways such as; as a face mask, moisturiser and a spot cream. The possibilities really seem so great with this product and also the handy, small tube is great for travelling and throwing in your handbag throughout the day.

I've been using this product for the past couple of weeks now and I absolutely love it. It works really well with my skin, on both my spots and also my dry skin patches. The best way I like to use this product is over night and applying it directly onto my spots and dry patches. This sinks in whilst I sleep and I wake up in the morning and can see results. It hydrates my dry patches and my spots definitely seem less red and feel less painful on my face. I do find that I see slightly better results with this product, on my spots, as opposed to the normal Sudocrem. So if you're after a product for that then I definitely recommend this one more than normal Sudocrem.

Overall I've really enjoyed using this product in all the different ways mentioned. I can always see results when I use this which is why I always go back to using this, especially when I'm having a bad skin day. I'd definitely recommend this product as a spot cream if you're currently looking for a new one :-)

Latest In Beauty x Heart FM Beauty Box

I always love the idea of a beauty box but sometimes the contents just aren't up to scratch. The Latest In Beauty boxes have become my favourites recently. The contents just always seem to include a variety of things I would love to try. The main thing I love about these boxes is that you don't have to subscribe and pay monthly for these, you can just purchase them as and when you want. I get emails when a new beauty box is being released and 9 times out of 10 I want to purchase it but sometimes I do have to restrain myself. This one however completely grabbed me and I hadn't had one for a couple of months so I thought I would treat myself.

I received 13 various products so let's get going through them. Firstly a Nails Inc gel effect nail varnish in Hyde Park Place which is a gorgeous grey colour. I don't believe I own a grey nail varnish so this fills a gap in my collection and I cannot wait to try it out. Next is a back comfort back oil from Knelpp which I can say I have already used and I love the herbal scent and the way it makes my skin feel after having a bath. Next from Green People is a sun lotion with tan accelerator which sounds like an amazing product. I cannot wait to give this a go now the weather here in the UK is starting to get warmer.

I then got the newly raved about bareMinerals Complexion Rescue which I am really excited to try. You get two different shades to try out so I cannot wait to give this a go on my skin as I've read so many good things about it. Then from Philosophy is their award winning 3in1 cleanser which cleanses, tones and hydrates the skin all in one which sounds amazing. Next is a beautiful eye shadow from Wild About Beauty which is such a wearable brown/natural shade. I've never heard of this brand before so I'm excited to see what the formula and wear is like.

The Vichy Idealia Life Serum is also included which sounds amazing, a serum which helps your complexion look more radiant and fresh which is just what you need in the summer months. From Skyn Iceland you get their Hydro Cool Firming eye gels which I actually have already used. These felt amazing, so cooling and refreshing. I really enjoyed using these, only wish there were more than one pair included. You then receive the Dove Youthful Vitality shampoo and conditioner which aren't exactly for my hair type but I love Dove as a brand so am looking forward to giving them a go.

Then from Balance Me is their Radiance Face Mask which again sounds perfect for summer. I love the brand Balance Me and have tried a few things from them before so hoping this lives up to them too. Next is the Le Couvent des Minimes Cloisters hand cream, wow what a name! I can hold my hands up and say that I'm really not a fan of hand cream at all, not just this one just hand cream in general. This one does smell great but my mother is now the proud owner of this product. I then got a Hydrating Daily Moisturiser from Amie, another brand I've never heard of, but this sounds great for my skin. As you may know I have dry skin so this sounds perfect and light for summer. Finally you get a face cloth which comes in the shape of a heart and is one of those ones which you put in water and expands. This definitely took me back to my childhood!

Overall I'm super impressed with the contents in this beauty box in collaboration which Heart FM. You can buy yours here for only £15 and the products add up to over £70! This is such a great bargain and such an easy way to try out products before spending a lot of money on something which you may end up not liking. Let me know if you've purchased this box and your thoughts on it, I would definitely recommend it :-)

Muesli & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Alongside my porridge oat cookies recipe which I posted last week (you can read here), I have also been baking these cookies. Again being inspired by the healthy eating baking and also having a bag of muesli in the cupboards which I wanted to use up. So I began scouring the internet for another recipe which I could try and voila, here came this recipe. I have slightly tweaked the one I found and came up with my own which I dare say taste really, really good! Obviously if you don't like muesli then these probably won't be for you as that is the main ingredient but I can say that some of the other ingredients make them taste much better.

You will need:

225g muesli

75g plain flour

100g butter

1 egg

2 1/2 tablespoons of honey

1 bag of chocolate chips (or something else sweet you would like to include)

 

First things first you need to preheat your oven to 180c and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper. Then in one bowl mix together the muesli and the flour.

 

Then you need to melt your butter in a separate bowl, I normally just do this in the microwave to speed the preparation time up. Once this is melted then combine the butter with the egg and honey.

 

You then add your wet mixture to your dry mixture and mix them both together well. You must then set this to one side for 15 minutes, this allows time for the mixture to combine and easier to then put into balls.

 

Then, using your hands, roll the mixture into balls and place onto your trays leaving space as they will get slightly bigger whilst in the oven. Once placed onto the trays flatten them slightly. This step can get quite messy when using your hands!

 

You then bake them for 10 minutes, I swap the trays over in the oven half way through so they both have some time on the top shelf. On removal from the oven, leave them for around 5 minutes to cool and then move onto a tray or wire rack to cool completely.

 

And voila, the cookies are made! Honestly this is such a simple recipe and so easy to make. They taste super good whilst still warm as the chocolate chips are all gooey - top tip right there. If you are into your healthy baking I definitely recommend these. They are the perfect snack and I find myself wanting to just eat one after the other. Let me know if you try this recipe and also your healthy baking recipe's if you have any :-)

Always the Bridesmaid by Lindsey Kelk

Lindsey Kelk has been one of my favourite authors for a long time now and I can put my hands up and say that I have read every one of her books. It's at the stage now where I wait for her next release and always pre-order getting excited awaiting delivery! Lindsey's I Heart series are one of my all time favourite book series and this book definitely lives up to those. I find Lindsey's books very addictive, once you've read one chapter it's like you have to read on to find out what's going to happen next. This often leads to late nights and endless chapters after one another.

This book has a great, real life story line which you can instantly connect with. It's all about three best friends, one of which is caught in between the other two where one is about to get married whereas the other is in the middle of a divorce. Therefore leaving a sticky situation for the friend who is stuck in the middle and this is where the story line hits off.

There are so many emotions revealed within this story from laugh out loud sections to sad, emotional parts. I found that I could really get stuck into this book and it is an easy read. It's not one of those heavy books that you need to really concentrate on. This is perfect for the evenings before heading to sleep and just reading a couple of chapters (or more!).

Overall this book was right up my street and I really didn't want it to end. I'm already awaiting Lindsey's next book, he he! If you've never read a book written by Lindsey before then I would 100% recommend checking her books out, you will not regret it. So I'm currently book-less therefore if you have any recommendations that you think I should read then please leave them below :-)