Hair Today...Gone Tomorrow - Shop my Stash!

I'm very much a girly kinda girl.. I love make-up, painting my nails, fashion, shoes, handbags, jewellery, everything like that. But when it comes to hair its a different story.

I've never been a hair sort of person, and probably never will be. In all honestly, because I'm not overly interested in my hair, I don't take much care of it. I very rarely go to the hairdressers, I don't use heat protection half as much as I should and I have been dying my hair for almost 10 solid years now that it's thinned out so much and is so limp and bleurgh that it's become an even more mundane job. I am a natural read head for those that didn't know, and my family and friends kill me for destroying my locks.. (I had was a copper shade of red), a part of me has been toying with the idea of getting it stripped for so long now but the other part of me is a little... nervous? Nervous what people will think who didn't realize I was a natural red head, nervous of the attention I'll create for the first few weeks. People always assume I began dying my hair because I was attracting negative comments about it. Far from it. I never once got bullied at school for it, it just happened one day in my bedroom when I was 19yrs old. My cousin is partly to blame because she came up with the idea (I actually didn't think my hair would take to dye because of previous attempts and because of the strong pigment in it). However my cousin introduced me to this thing called 'permanent' hair dye... haha (you can tell how much I wasn't interested in hair just from that fact!). We went to the shop, came back, and she helped me dye it in my bathroom. The rest is history.

At first I loved how my hair matched with so many more colour clothes! I got lots of attention and everyone said how it really suited me. Colouring in my eyebrows (to ensure it matched my hair!) with an eyebrow kit became a daily part of my routine. However, as the years have passed, people have commented on how thin my hair has gone. Its lost its volume and only appears to look its best straight after that first wash after I've dyed my hair. Within days, the volume and thickness has faded. My hair loss is incredible and the maintenance of keeping on top of my roots is a huge chore to me. Everytime it gets closer to dye time, I dread it. I've ruined so many towels, stained a few bathroom vinyl floors and doors with it, no matter how much 'precaution' I take and cover the sides.

This is going to be a little 'hair today... gone tomorrow' series. As you'll see below, I have a huge stash of hair products. For some of you, this may only be a snippet compared to what you have, but to me and my 'couldn't care less' attitude about hair, I have one too many products! (Although now I've laid them all in a neat little line, the amount doesn't look as daunting!). 70% of the products I actually didn't buy, but received through beauty boxes instead. However these get thrown in my hair box (hair, count yourself lucky you have a nice big floral box to yourself!) and don't see the light of day in months.

My mission is to get my hair products stash reduced to a more acceptable level. I have taken pictures of each and every
hair product I own today (minus every day products such as shampoo & conditioner). I aim to make a conscious effort to begin incorporating these into my routine. I am not going to purchase any more hair treatments until I get this visibly reduced. As previously mentioned, I am subscribed to 2 beauty boxes, so it will be interesting to see how that affects my stash. Hopefully I don't get hair products coming in on a monthly basis, or I'll be fighting against a losing battle! I'm rather concerned about my stash of hairsprays alone. 2 of those I bought, the other 2 I received in a beauty box and to trial. How I am going to get through that amount of hairspray worries me a little, especially since I use hairspray on average, erm 6 times a year, when I try and go for that tousled beach wavy style, but fail.

I get a buzz out of knowing I have finished a product I may have forced myself to use, so I'm excited to get cracking on this task!

I think updating you every 3 months is pretty reasonable, that'll give me a good chunk of time to get cracka-lacking on those products!

Who knows, by the time I've got this stash reduced, I may have decided once and for all that I'm going au-natural again!

Keep your eyes peeled for another shop my stash post... there's some more products of a certain kind that are lurking deep within my drawers that I could set up shop with!

Lifestyle: Instagram it October!

Some of you may remember that back in August (which seems so long ago now!) I decided to carry out a little challenge (and if you know me, you'll know I'm not the best at sticking to challenges!) however I managed to pull this one off and I took an Instagram photo every.single.day for a whole month. Get me.

I have bypassed September because I knew I never had a great deal planned. In fact nothing at all. The glam life I lead.

However October is almost upon us and I have a week's holiday in the sun to look forward to, followed by a weekend in London to visit Comic Con as part of my boyfriends 30th birthday present. The things I get myself into. I'm hoping to fit a few hours shopping in and a few nice meals so I'm super excited for that!  

So, if you like my lifestyle photos and want to re-live a holiday moment through me, then keep your eyes peeled!

If you missed August's Instagram it, you can see what I got up to here:

August Week 1
August Week 2
August Week 3
August Week 4

I can't promise I'll do the posts on a weekly basis this time but I promise I will get them up somehow!

Who else is joining me on Instagram it October?!

Fun in Florida - Magic Kingdom, Disneyland!

This is the second post in my Florida series. To read about my adventure and opinions in Animal Kingdom, click here.

We had Disneyland planned on day 2 of our holiday, and visiting this park several times as a child, I was super excited to see what I could remember.

This park really is a fairytale of dreams. The park is filled with a popcorn aroma (which I'm sure is pumped in to make you buy some!) with constant magical music playing everywhere you go (oh, and beware, if you sit in the same spot for too long, the songs can get a little repetitive as we discovered!). As with all the parks, ensure you have comfy footwear on as this park in particular puts on late firework shows that are not to be missed, so depending on which firework display you catch (yes, they put on 2 identical ones!) you may find yourself leaving the park late at night, feeling verrrrry tired after a long day in the heat...

 

'A Place Where Dreams Come'

Although this park is one for the children, there's something magical about it that makes adults want to explore things that they wouldn't normally bat an eyelid at.

It has a nice mixture of thrill seeking rides, to the 'in between' rides and then rides that are specifically designed for children.

The 'Dream Come True' Parade is Disney's famous show that has been ongoing since the park first opened back in the early 90's (apologies if I'm wrong with that date!) - I can still remember bits now from when I were a wee nipper! But its something not to be missed because you get to see all the characters together at once, as opposed to spotting them occasionally throughout the day, or maybe even queuing for a meet and greet. All the characters are singing and dancing and its a really uplifting and reflective experience.

Dream Come True Parade

Thrill seekers will love Space Mountain (this is actually scarier than I remember as a child!) - a rollercoaster in a 'mountain' in the dark, with the odd flash of light to get a glimpse of the track...
Big Thunder Mountain is a typical small rollercoaster that actually looks fairly deceiving and is a lot faster than anticipated (it even caused a few girly screams from me!) (I have a little bit of footage of this on the vlog below!). But being in Disney, it's only right to revert back to your childhood a little (no matter how old you are) and just appreciated the smaller rides.. 'A Small World' was a nice relaxing ride that took around 15 minutes from start to finish, but gave you time to reflect and just appreciate the here and now, and the fact that you are in one of the most well-loved places of all time, a place that some can only dream of (whilst of course admiring the attraction itself).

It's gotta be done, right?!

Disney really does amaze me of how much bloody effort that they put into everything, and I mean everything. Just by observation you can tell that everything has had some thought behind it - from how they organize ride queues, to the cleanliness of the park, to the shows, to the flow of the eateries, it just amazed me how everything flowed so perfectly with no stress, no nothing, it was as if it was meant to be.... Here in the UK, you go to a place like that and sometimes can walk away feeling quite stressed from either the lack of organization, or the shoving and pushing.. its just a different world out there.

Anyway, less of my contemplative state!

If you want to see me ride some rides or watch (the full!) A Dream Come True Parade (which is the famous Disney Parade) then watch my video HERE!

Stay Tuned for Day 3 of my Florida Series - Hmm, where will I be tomorrow?!

Fun in Florida - Disney's Animal Kingdom!

I have decided to put together a little Florida series for you that will provide you with a little more in-depth review of each of the parks that I ventured into, complete with photos.
If you are ever lucky enough (or have already been lucky!) to venture into the land of Disney, you will know it requires planning, and lots of it. Florida is probably one of the more expensive holidays you are ever likely to go on, so it's really important to get it right first time to ensure you don't miss anything whilst you are there!

Hopefully my series will help you decide whether or not you want to explore certain theme parks or save your time and money by exploring something else.

So, lets get cracking!

Animal Kingdom!

This was the theme park we ventured into on day 1 of our holiday. I'd never been to Animal Kingdom as a child, and although I'm not an animal lover, I was still super excited to see what this park had to offer. Oh, and before I start, incase you're all thinking 'why would you pay to go to Animal Kingdom if you don't like animals?' I never. We purchased a Disney and Universal combo ticket which included AK in the package, so getting our monies worth and all that....

I had planned our theme park days using a fine tooth comb, did my research and figured out what days were best to avoid the crowds (not that you'd ever avoid them completely, that's impossible). I also did an itinerary of which rides to aim for first with our fast pass. (More on that in later posts).

Animal Kingdom has been designed into different countries, and in each country you are able to sample their food, entertainment and goods. For lunch we ate in China and had, would you have guessed it, Chinese food! There are lots and lots of food to suit everyone, although picking a 'country' to suit a large group of people could prove difficult, because there's so much on offer, everyone is spoilt for choice!



Bollywood dancing in 'India'

Not having any children clung to our side (well, except for my 2 year old niece, but she didn't count because she wasn't mine!) we weren't restricted to spending our time hanging around children's rides. We could go and explore the thrill seeking rides. Yay.

One of my favourite thrill rides was the Kail River Rapids.. I am a total water baby and always have been, so water rides are a must for me (and also a welcoming refresher in the heat!). I have footage of this ride which I will include below. Warning - I remember getting absolutely drenched on this (and I mean drenched) - my feet were squelching for a good few hours afterwards. Yummy.

My brother and sister-in-law riding the Kali River Rapids

Second to that was Expedition Everest. This reminded me a little of Space Mountain in Disney - A rollercoaster in caves, in the dark. You didn't know which way it was going to turn next, which added to the adrenalin.

Primeval Whirl is very similar to a lot of rides in theme parks (they even have an almost identical ride in the UK at Alton Towers). This is a waltzer type carriage on a rollercoaster track. It spins fast enough to make you feel dizzy, but good fun nonetheless.

For the thrill rides, that was about it. We have to remember this theme park is designed more for animal related stuff, so lets get onto the next one...The Kilimanjaro Safari! You jump into a huge jeep type truck and off you go through knee deep muddy water into the wilderness. If you're lucky enough you can get up close and personal with a variety of animals, some you may never have seen in the flesh before... giraffes, elephants, alligators, lions, pink flamingos - there's a huge array of animals, and certainly a few to excite the kids (if you watch my video, listen out for the kids excitement when they see the giraffe!).

Can you spot the elephant?

There were smaller calmer rides that took you through the park whilst providing you with animal facts. It is a little boring to say the least, but I guess its a nice quick break for your feet! There is also a little animal yard whereby children (or adults!) can pick up a brush and have the opportunity of brushing some of the animals. There are also jungle trails that you can go on in search of certain animals and bugs etc.. again, not being an animal lover, I used my time on things I knew I would get more enjoyment out of, because in Florida you will learn that time is precious!

My niece contemplating whether to stroke the goat or not in the petting yard!

They also do a variety of shows which is always a good place to go if you are feeling tired or need a break from the sun. Make a mental note of the times of the shows that you want to see because it is so easy to get carried away doing something else that you will miss these. Some shows are more regular than others. We watched 'Finding Nemo@ The Musical' - we didn't plan this but just wanted a breather from the sun. We walked in probably 10 minutes into it but it was very dark but very cold, which was very welcoming! The show was really good, especially for kids. Lots of colour, music and dancing.

Overall, would I visit AK again? Not anytime soon... if you are into animals you would absolutely love it here because there is so much to do and see regarding wildlife, but if you are more of an adrenalin junkie, there isn't enough rides to last you the day. It was a nice experience though (oh, and they do dream ice-creams for as little as $2.50 and they are huge!) ;-)

Enjoying a mid afternoon snack!

Have you ever been to AK? If not, is it somewhere you'd like to visit?

Watch my Animal Kingdom Vlog here.

Subscribe to my channel if you want to see more Disney Footage!

Next post - Disneyland! Stay tuned!

Travel: MGM Hotel Review, Las Vegas.

This review is well overdue (like, erm, almost 1 year overdue) but you know the say... better late than never!

Many of you will know that this time last year, I would have been getting ready to embark on my first ever trip to Las Vegas. We were going there predominantly for my brothers wedding (I was a bridesmaid) but we obviously made it into our annual holiday too. Read about a Las Vegas Wedding here.

My brother's wife had been to Vegas a couple of times previous, so I trusted her when she was booking a group holiday for all her guests. She chose the MGM and wow, I could not have been more happier with it.

Doing my research before I went, I knew that the hotels over there were going to grander than I'd ever seen before, but it's not till I arrived that I fully appreciated just how much effort goes into each and every hotel - they are a tourist attraction in themselves!

I remember arriving at the hotel after a long flight and walking into this humongous lobby area (below). Concierge were everywhere with those posh gold luggage trolleys, all suited and booted. I felt like I was walking into a movie set! The marble effect floor was so shiny I could almost see my face in it, lights seem to twinkle everywhere and the aroma of flowers and just pure freshness is something I'll never forget.

Lobby

The room...

I don't know why but how a hotel room looks is important to me.. even though I am aware I wont spend a lot of time in there, I just like to know it looks nice... (anyone with me on this?!)

Our hotel room was classed as a 'standard king size room'. The bed was enormous and extremely comfy, you could quite happily fit 3 people in without any pushing or shoving, but I quite frankly didn't want to share my bed with a 3rd person ;-) I remember really missing this bed once I had returned home!

Although a lot of it is out of sight in this photo, there was a lot of storage, drawer space and a wardrobe/closet, that was big enough to shove those suitcases in out the way.

As you can see from the photo, there was plenty of seating available if you had your friends round from other rooms. I sat at the desk on several occasions when I wanted to use my laptop (which may I add, connected to the hotels free Wi-Fi like a dream).

Our view I thought was pretty good. We had a view of the highway and of the airport. You could see planes taking off every few minutes, and although so close, luckily you couldn't hear them.
The window ledge is also wide enough to sit on and just enjoy a drink whilst admiring the view, (or watching the sunset as I did on several occasions).

A fridge is provided in the room, however this is locked and you have to pay to open it, so there was no way of keeping drinks chilled. There was an ice bucket provided with free ice machines down the hallway, which we filled on several occasions.

The bathroom was nice and big (the shower and bath being behind the door in this photo, which really doesn't do it justice!), with lots of towels provided and re-stocked on a daily basis if you wanted room service. I remember the shower being amazing, very powerful! There were lots of complimentary beauty products provided too (which is almost standard in every hotel now).

Hotel Amenities...

Although MGM is very central, and at the start of the strip, Vegas in itself can get very tiring on the ol' feet, especially in the heat, however there are a few transport options available. The monorail was very close by to the hotel which is a little more expensive than the bus (bus was $8 for 24hrs, which stopped at The Monte Carlo hotel, so was a short walk from there back to the MGM). There are free trams that go from certain hotels to others, but they don't transport you up and down the full strip.

MGM is one of the bigger hotels in Vegas - it has lots of restaurants to offer, all catering in different styles of food. The hotel also holds a few nightclubs (something we didn't manage to check out), a 24/7 Starbucks for you coffee lovers!, a food court that included cheaper quick takeaway style food (i.e. McDonalds, Chinese, pizza etc). There were 2 convenience shops on site (1 of them I didn't discover till the end of my holiday which highlights how big the hotel is!). The rainforest cafe is a must for anyone with children - I don't have children myself but my little niece loved it (ok, I did too!). They have a 'storm' on every 30 minutes whilst you are dining. Lights begin flashing, jungle noises fill the air and the animals begin moving all around whilst you are eating.. a fantastic jungle experience for the little ones!

The pool area is amazing (with a capital A!). There are 7 (yes, 7!) different pools to choose from. I even found a jacuzzi style pool that I had all to myself! Unfortunately we weren't there to swim that day though (just went for a nosey) so I could only dip my legs in, but they looked fab, especially the lazy river!

I loved every minute I spent at MGM and would definitely recommend it to anyone that is visiting Las Vegas. It was a shame there was so much to see in Vegas, I could have quite happily spent another week here, just enjoying my own hotel amenities without stepping foot outside of it!

Have you ever been to Las Vegas? Which hotel did you stay in?

Whats in my work handbag?

A few days ago I treated myself to a new work handbag. I'm not talking a massive exciting splurge on a new designer handbag (I wish). I bought a new handbag for work when I was in Manchester last month but its too small for all my belongings so although I wanted to downgrade in size for my poor shoulder, it quite clearly wasn't happening, so a few days ago I wondered into New Look and paid only £15.99 for this slouchy crème and black one. I think because of the colour scheme, it looks like its meant for work so that suited me fine.

Bag - New Look

All the things that follow me round on an average day at work... Lets take a closer look....  

My car keys! These are essential to my job, and if I'm honest, I probably wouldn't have been offered the job all those years ago (4, to be precise!) if I couldn't drive! Although its not until I take close up photos that I realize how battered my keyring is and that I really need a new one!  

Also my phones - the Samsung Galaxy is my personal one but that goes everywhere with me. The small (old fashioned) Nokia one is my work phone.

 

 

 These are my bibles at work. In the past year or so I've become really forgetful (I don't know why?) so my diary is so important to me. I wouldn't know where I was meant to be without it. I have a job that requires constant bookings of appointments with clients so it's vital that I remember this! (For those that are wondering, its a Collins diary, and a dirty one at that! Bleurgh). Along with this comes a notebook (this particular one being from Tesco!). I have a huge passion for stationary so I'm constantly changing this up but again, paper is something I need often in my job. On top are 2 pens (with a further pink pen tucked inside my diary out of view!). The left pen is one of 8 that I purchased in Florida, it has Mickey and Minnie on it so always reminds me of my holiday :-)

 

The little 'cat' bag is my current make-up bag which I purchased from Primark last month. I'm actually not too fond (I'm not an animal person) but there wasn't any suitable ones and this was the closest one!). It stores all my daily essential make-up items and a hairbrush (if you want to see a 'whats in my make-up bag?' then pop a message below!). The little gold box next to it is actually a rather generous sample sized perfume bottle from a recent Glossybox. Its 'Untold' by Elizabeth Arden, not something I'd run out and by for myself but its nice as a freshen up throughout the day at work.

My trusty umbrella! This lives between my handbag and my car, and is in one of those places all year round. I really don't trust the English weather! (For those wondering, the umbrella is an old one from Primark and comes with a pretty gold sequin band that sits in the middle of the umbrella once 'done up' although its out of shot! :-( )

Last but not least - my purse! I love this purse, and have had it a few years now. I remember buying it from Claires Accessories for £12. It can get quite bulky and heavy at times, so I like to downgrade to a small coin purse when I can, but I always need cash/debit cards on me because I'm forever either using car parks or topping up on petrol!

 

Sometimes you may also find a pack-lunch box in there (when I can be bothered to make it!)

 

Are your work bag contents similar to mine?!

 

 



September's Glossybox - London Edition

I love the themed boxes that GB occasionally decide to do.. and today was no exception (I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the union jack box, it's too cute to shove away in my cupboard!).

Contents

HD Brows Blusher - I got extremely excited when I first saw this. I received the HD brow kit in one of their first boxes many moons ago and I use it every day without fail and its still going strong. I actually thought this was another brow kit which would have been a perfect replacement for when my current one runs out. When I discovered it was a blusher I will admit, I was a little disappointed because I'm not a huge blusher girl (I'm drawn more to bronzer), however I did try it out and actually quite liked it.

'Untold' perfume by Elizabeth Arden. This is actually a nice sample sized bottle and would easily last a week away. Unfortunately I wasn't that excited about the smell. Its a daytime smell that is (yet again) on the brink of being a fragrance for the more mature woman (in my opinion at least). I will throw this in my work bag as a freshen up throughout the day though.

Eyelure Eyelashes - How gutted was I to have received these (only due to personal circumstances though!). I am a wearer of false eyelashes for evenings out. However I haven't worn lashes in quite a few months now. On Tuesday I had plans in the evening and thought I'd spruce it up a little and wear some falsies, so I popped into Tesco in between work and bought a pair (again, first time in about 6 months). Low and behold, I got home to find my GB waiting for me and a pair of falsies laying in the box. They saw me coming! Either way, I will get some use out of these for sure! I'm going on holiday in a few weeks so these will probably come with me.

Be a Bombshell 'Onyx' felt tip eyeliner. I really really want to be able to use products like these but I just can't apply it if my life depended on it. I envy all these girls that wear top liner to perfection. Me? Its a scraggy patchy zigzag line that I scrub off and attempt to re-do that many times that my eyes end up sore and I give up! Its not a pretty sight! I really don't know what I do wrong. Me and top liner just aren't meant to be!

Toni & Guy Shine Gloss Serum - I sampled this as soon as I got it and absolutely love it! Its the kind of serum I'm always on the hunt for when I go hair product shopping (which is very rare, as I'm not really a hair person!). It made my hair feel extra soft and manageable, kind of like that 'just left the hairdressers' feeling. Love it. Little disappointed about the price though.. over £7 for 30ml? Owch!

DIY: Project Ottoman - Shabby Chic Style

As you all know I love a bit of interior design. I can spend many hours wandering around home accessory shops and dreaming of what I would buy if money grew on trees.

Unfortunately money doesn't grown on trees so I am always considering cheaper alternative ways to achieve certain styles. I was recently offered almost a full set of oak bedroom furniture for a snippet of the price, so I snapped it up and have been working on and off certain items for the last few weeks.

We lack storage in our house, so my clothes are forever draped everywhere, so one of the first things I got to work on was this ottoman.

Although some people love wooden furniture, at the minute it's not really my taste, so I instantly gave this a lick of white satin paint because I adore white shabby chic-esque furniture. My original plans for the lid was to pad it out and cover it with Cath Kidston style material and turn it into a little seat as well. Those plans went out the window, partially due to laziness and the hassle of it all, and partially because of the cost and all the extra items I would have had to purchase. I opted for a cheaper option and purchased a roll of this gorgeous shabby chic style wallpaper which I found in B&M for £7.99. I was originally going to paper it with just wrapping paper (because I've seen so many pretty ones!) but soon figured this may be a little too thin.

I used wallpaper paste for the adhesive (I did think I'd have problems with it sticking to wood, but thankfully it stuck like a dream).

I'm happy with the overall look and can't wait to crack on with my next project!

Hmmm, now what to store in it!

Kate

x



Review - The Midland Hotel, Manchester

The past few years I've stayed in quite a large amount of hotels, both in and out of the UK. I have become fairly fussy over time, ensuring I choose the right hotel to meet my (ever-growing) standards.

If any of you are regular readers, you will know that 2 weeks ago my boyfriend and I ventured to Manchester to celebrate his 30th birthday. We don't live near Manchester (in fact we are over a 2hr drive away) but we started going here 4 years ago and always return when we have the excuse to, there's just something about it that we both love.

I came across The Midland Hotel after doing many hours scouring the internet for the best deal. After admiring the photos and reading lots and lots of positive reviews (in fact I don't think I came across one negative one!) I finally booked 2 nights here, and got SUCH a good deal (half price in fact).

We had a bit of a turbulent journey across to Manchester, breaking down on the M62 (my car never fails to amaze me!), so we arrived at the hotel 4hrs after my planned schedule.

The hotel lobby was so pretty and grand looking, with a gorgeous pink orchid tree placed in the middle. The whole grandness actually reminded me of Las Vegas hotels, everything was impressive. It immediately relaxed me from our stressful journey here (one that I didn't think I'd actually make but instead be in the passenger seat of an AA van on the way home!).

A lovely guy named Richard served us (the only reason I remember his name is because he reminded me of another friend of ours, also called Richard!). He asked if we were celebrating anything (although I think he already knew this in advance because I'd already stated on the booking form that it was for a 30th). When we told him he said he had upgraded us to a Superior room, which I was excited about (I've never tried to get upgraded before!). Our booking was dealt with efficiently and within minutes we had the card to our room. Due to us arriving late because of the car, we were running late for a 7pm restaurant booking elsewhere. I asked Richard if I could have the number to the restaurant so I could ring it to re-arrange, and he provided me with this without hesitation. Nothing could have been a problem for him.

The room was fantastic - a 'chill out' sofa area (which I think was the difference between a standard and superior), a huge bed that was extra comfy and a unique dressing table that I wanted to take home with me! It was like old-skool school desks where the lid lifts up and you cram everything inside (it was fab for hiding all my cosmetic clutter!). The inner lid had a huge mirror and a hairdryer within the desk, which saved me lugging one with me (hair-dryers are something I always look for in a hotel!).

There was also a complimentary box of chocolates (and no cheap crap either!) and a (handwritten!) birthday card to my boyfriend which made him feel extra special! haha.

We don't normally have breakfast included in our hotel stays but it was included in the price with this one, and not a bad word to say about it. There was a huge variety of things to choose from and all food tasted of high quality. The only thing I disliked was risking the chance of having to sit/share a table with strangers because they were lacking 2/4 seater tables. I'm quite personal and like to have my own space when I'm out. I do think they were refurbishing the original dining room though so this was just a temporary room till that was complete.

We didn't spend a great deal of time in the hotel unfortunately because we were out in Manchester doing things, but from start to finish, this hotel impressed us (especially hours before we were due to leave and my (Liverpool supporting) boyfriend bumped into Peter Beardsley - Liverpool fans will hopefully know who this is). I think that rounded his break off nicely!

I love to sample things, including hotels, so its not often I re-book the same hotel twice, but I wouldn't hesitate with this :-)

I'll leave you with a few photos from our stay.

How comfy does this bed look?!

 

Nice chill out area..

 

Scrummy complimentary Chocs!

Everyone loves a freebie!

Have you stayed anywhere fancy in Manchester? I'd love to know!

 

 

Lifestyle - Instagram it! August Week 4

Wow, we are now in September, which makes me feel a little sad because it feels like summer is officially over. However it's not till all the Autumn/Winter clothes begin rearing their little heads in the shops, and the fire is beginning to get turned on that I realize that, in fact I do quite like Autumn too, and the excitement with the run up to Christmas.

Anyhow, I shall share with you my last week of August. I have somehow got my days mixed up and I seem to have more photos than days in August, but never mind.. here is my last week in picture.

 Top left - eBay time! A pile of clothes that are in need of a good home!
Top right - Had a really lethargic non-productive day last Sunday due to a darn headache that stuck with me for a good 20hrs :-|
Bottom left - Bank Holiday Monday. Day trip to Kinema in the Woods, in Woodhall Spa.
Bottom right - My friends tasty looking pudding at our latest catch up.

 Top left - A trip to the shop to buy some running gear (and yes, this was the highlight of my day because if you knew me you'd know I never exercise, and haven't ran in a good 4+yrs!)
Top right - Nail art! I've missed you!
Bottom left - Jimmy Carr live! Wasn't a huge fan of him up until a few months ago, and now I love him!
Bottom right - Yet another meal out! I think I love eating out a little too much!

I hope you have enjoyed this series as much as I've enjoyed doing it.
I am thinking about doing this again sometime, probably in October as I've got quite a few events planned for that month too.

Let me know if you enjoyed!