Where have you been... Again

Well it’s certainly not been as long as before however, I’ve had another blogging break. I’ve been wanting to get back into the blogging scene, since the short break, for a while now. What’s been stopping me? A lot of things to be honest, I’ve been pretty busy since I last posted! We all know what’s going on in the world, the C word needs no mention really. We have had to rearrange our wedding, I was furloughed then sent back to work after 4 months off and now I’m currently not working again - but for another reason. 

April 2020, we found out I’m pregnant and expecting our first baby! My first trimester was the hardest by far and I think that’s the main reason why I stopped posting. I was feeling nauseous, sick, tired - you name it I felt it! To be honest, I felt lucky that I was furloughed as I’m not sure I would have been able to hack work, feeling the way I felt! I was also very lucky to be able to go back to work during my second trimester and through to my third, finishing work just over 36 weeks pregnant (thank god for leftover holiday!). Now I’ll save you doing the maths, my due date is only 9 days away, yes you read that correctly! I reckon the timing for this post is worse than the timing of my last ‘blog comeback’ if you will. 

I would certainly like to attempt to get back to blogging and be more present on social media that’s for sure. I think not putting too much pressure on myself to post, easier said than done, might be the way forward. But who knows? If it takes me 1 day or another couple of weeks to post, that’s allowed. I definitely want to make more use of my blog Instagram page @simplyjustnatalie if you would like to give it a follow, I’d appreciate it! 

See you soon,

Natalie :-) 

Tropic Lip Fudge

I’m always a sucker for a new lip balm and finding the most moisturising and nourishing one I possibly can. If you’re an original follower of my blog, then you may well remember this. Over the years I have tried and tested many, and there are a few old reviews of some I’ve previously tried and loved. However, the search has never subsided and I’ve continued to look for the right one. 

This particular one basically fell into my path as it was a present from someone I knew at work. It’s branded as a ‘lip plumping’ balm which initially put me off and to be totally honest with you, it sat in my drawer for probably a good month. I finally decided to get it out and give it a whirl and boy am I glad I did! It’s super moisturising and seems to have very small exfoliating beads in to help keep your lips super soft. It’s a lovely scent a mix between a bit fruity but also a slight hint of minty fresh (it sounds a bazaar combo which I’m definitely not describing well, but trust me it works). I mainly use this product before going to bed, as that’s when I find my lips getting particularly dry, and it keeps them nourished all the way until morning. Then if my lips feel particularly dry during the day, I’ll reach for this lip balm too. It’s simply just the perfect all rounder and I would definitely recommend this to anyone on the same search as I am! 

Latest Lockdown Reads

Obviously I have continued to read masses of books during lockdown and now my ‘read’ pile is forever growing, I thought it best that I share the latest ones with you. I simply cannot wait until I can get back into some charity shops and purchase some new books to read!

Landline by Rainbow Rowell 

This was a quick read for me and personally not one of my favourites, I think it’s more of a teen book but still a good storyline nonetheless. A lovely read if you’re a little bit younger, want something easy that you can get into quickly and not too bulky. Good length chapters and well written, it is a good book just not my personal cup of tea.

Never Greener by Ruth Jones

I loved this book! Another really easy to read book with again good length chapters. It’s really well written and is a romantic novel, again not my usual genre. However, this one seemed more based at my age group therefore I enjoyed it a lot more. Definitely keeping my eyes peeled for Ruth Jones next book out later this year.

Blood Sisters by Jane Corry 

My favourite genre.. it took me a few more chapters than usual to get into the storyline however, thoroughly enjoyed it when I did. A good couple of twists in there to keep you reading and definitely some tense, thriller moments. 

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter 

First thing about this book was the super long chapters, which I personally don’t like! But it was a very gripping storyline, you simply just didn’t know what was going to happen next or where the book was going to take you. 

ASOS Wishlist

Sandals - here

Shirt dress - here

Mom jean - here

Sweatshirt - here

Bardot dress - here

Leggings - here

I don’t know about you, but recently I’ve been finding myself scrolling through the new in sections of many fashion websites.. it must be all this free time I have! The one site I’ve found myself most drawn to is Asos. I have the Asos app on my iPad and have just found myself clicking on it daily to search through the new fashion pieces/styles, especially with this lovely weather we’ve been having in the U.K. 

So because of this obsession I seem to have taken up, I thought I would share a few pieces with you that I’ve put into my saved items. Firstly, the Nevada Sweatshirt is just the perfect piece for lockdown as it looks super comfy and would look great oversized with some cycling shorts. I’m not super tall but I do find that I can’t get away with normal mini dresses, without flashing something, so for this style dress I usually opt from the tall range. This Bardot denim look one is exactly that but from New Look on Asos. I’m not sure how white it would stay on me but is such an easy outfit with some summer sandals and crossbody bag. Now I’ve just said white things may not stay white on me, and I’ve saved some white mom jeans! But I’ve seen so many people style these with a simple tee, tucked in with a belt and either sandals or trainers and I’m all about the simple fashion so had to include them. 

Another dress from the tall section is this shirt style which I loved because of the tie waist which you’d be able to cinch in, a feature I personally love. Again another super simple outfit paired with sandals or trainers. I keep mentioning sandals so I had to feature a pair and boy are these a good looking pair. They’re simple and chunky and black goes with everything. I have the heart eyed emoji all over these sandals! Finally, with it being lockdown, I have actually been finding the time to do some home workouts in my living room, but I definitely don’t have the gear. I found these gym leggings and loved the elephant grey colour of them. These are super affordable too!

That’s my current saved wish list on Asos, let me know your Spring/Summer staples and please tell me I’m not the only one scrolling through new in! I’ve actually done an Asos haul, awaiting delivery, so head on over to my Instagram to find out what I picked up @simplyjustnatalie 

Currently Pinning: House Renovations

Since lockdown I’ve found myself rediscovering platforms that I’d kind of put to one side and left abandoned. I mean the main one was actually my blog, which is slowly getting back into motion, but another platform that I used to use all the time was Pinterest. I used to pin a bit of everything and could spend long periods of time scrolling through the website, not even narrowing my search but still finding inspiration and ideas that I loved. This being one of the highlights of the site, from what you’ve previously pinned it narrows searches down to things you may be interested in (yes I know that’s not new news to most of you!). However, since moving into our ‘granny bungalow’ as we refer to our home to nicely, I’ve been pinning the odd bits here and there. Now, in lockdown, I’ve been doing it a lot more and not just home decor. Although, I am planning on showing you some of our bungalow renovations in future posts because calling it a ‘granny bungalow’ is being kind... we used to call it the ‘sh*t hole’!

However, if you’re not on Pinterest and are looking for something to keep you occupied during lockdown, definitely look into signing up to it! It will keep you entertained and make you want to try new hacks, diy your furniture and buy new fashion trends.
If you wish to follow me and have a look at what I’ve been currently pinning then you can use the widget on the side of my blog >>>> or my username is: natalieellis23