Christmas Crackers!

It's that lovely festive time of year again where we see the return of the beauty advent calenders which  have been stocked and sold out within a day. If you are amongst those who didn't get your hands on one of the calenders and aren't willing to spend the ridiculous price of £200 on ebay for one then look no further! Here we have christmas crackers by the likes of clarins, OPI and Lancome!  If you come from a large family with a lot of girls then these are the perfect gifts for opening at dinner time. If not, then simply give the pack as a gift or individually as a stocking filler!

Jo Malone Christmas Cracker - £32

I'm not sure if I have read this properly, and I wouldn't be so shocked if I have, but I believe this is just for the one cracker... (it states multiple on the site but doesn't give a number of how many). Not really surprising for Jo Malone but as these only contain small sample sizes of products it hardly seems worth it! 

OPI 6 Piece Cracker edition - £19.92

Created especially for QVC, the crackers include 3 limited shades of polish, a nail and cuticle oil, and a file and lotion. A lovely product for any girl who is forever painting her nails and based on the prices of all of the other crackers featured in this post, a real bargain!

Clarins 6 Piece Cracker Set - £39

From what I have seen this product is mainly available at Selfridges and can be brought online via the link. You get a pack of 6, with each cracker containing an iconic Clarins miniature. Products include the Rouge Eclat lipstick, Wonder Perfect Mascara and Beauty Flash Balm. Not too bad for Clarins but I would still say overpriced! 

Lancome Beauty Christmas Crackers 6 Piece - £54

However none are as expensive as the Lancome crackers! But if you work out the price of the premium products to the price of the entire box of crackers it works out about right. This is the best box by far... it contains the Hypnose Volume Mascara, Le Crayon khol Eyeliner, Advanced Genefique Youth Activating Concentrate, Lip Lover, L'absolute Lipstick and Bi- Facil Eye Make Up Remover. A complete refresh for all of your main make up needs! If I had more money then sense, I would definitely purchase this one! 

However, as it is just me and my fella this year I don't think any of these products will be of much use to us ( and by us I mean I don't think he will be too impressed if I begin frantically pulling 6 crackers by myself over dinner whilst he sits there with a mascara) so I hope it has helped people in finding inspiration for gift giving or for those who fancy getting the presents for themselves! 

If anybody happens to know of a place where you can get his and her crackers then I will be happy to hear it as I can't seem to find any! 

Jessica xo

DIY Inspiration // Pine Cones

I must admit I am slightly Pinterest obsessed. So by the time Autumn came along and all the fall DIY began showing up on the site I immediately began hunting for pine cones! This is slightly tricky for me as we just moved into the centre of Norwich and there are no forests or parks around for miles! So during a day visit to see a friend about an hour away I decided that it would be an ideal time to hunt for some pine cones and did we find loads! She lives near the lovely forests of Thetford in Norfolk where there are an abundance of trees and plenty of pine cones for us to get our hands on. 

So after bringing them home, cooking them in the oven for 30 minutes to kill off all the spiders and bugs (there were so many!), I began frantically searching for ideas. I had my mind set on a heart wreath that I spent days attempting to make with a tiny tub of superglue and some chicken wire. Needless to say, that failed drastically and we now have several marks of superglue on the dining table which my other half isn't too impressed with... So after giving up and shoving the pine cones in a cupboard for 2 weeks I have decided to have another go at it! That and also because December is fast approaching and I really would like to have something on the front door and some pine cones around the house. 

So after ditching the heart wreath idea I have decided to have another search on pinterest for what can be made this time that definitely doesn't include chicken wire! These are just a few DIY ideas that I have found... (none of these photos are mine and the link to each tutorial is above the picture on the title). 

Pine Cone Garland Tutorial

This is definitely something that I am willing to try. We have several fireplaces in our home and it would be nice to make one of these to hang in the one in the lounge. I might even spray a few of the cones silver and see how that looks. 

Pine Cone Bow Ornament

This is actually insanely easy to make. It just takes a bit of string, some glue and a little bit of ribbon and you are done! We are getting our christmas tree this friday so until then I will be making plenty of these beauts to have on our tree! 

Pine Cone Tree

This idea is by far my favourite! All I need to get is a glue gun because I simply don't have the patience to fiddle about with the tiny tub of super glue! Her idea is really simple and I am really keen to try this out... I might even add some beads and a few lights to it? I will probably need some more pine cones though so might have to wait until I find a more local forest.

Well there you have it; my main pine cone inspiration for christmas and all of the ideas I can't wait to get stuck into! I know that there aren't any wreaths in this post but judging by how that went last time, I think it is probably best to start off small before I end up putting something horrendous on our front door... Has anybody else tried anything similar to these? 

Jessica xo

Pregnancy Update // Week 24

Pregnancy is definitely nothing like I expected it to be! Everyone talks about how the time flies and yet I feel like I have been pregnant for a year and for a month all at the same time... Nothing quite prepares you for this and all the advice in the world can go in one ear and right out the other!

As of now I am currently 24 weeks and pregnant with a girl! Both me and my partner are absolutely thrilled as we were hoping to have a little girl and I can now keep the Baker baby coat I brought my sister for her child but kept for myself because I had a hunch we would be having a girl too! Cheeky I know. As you can imagine, we are absolutely thrilled and get to spend the next 3 months finalising her name and ensuring it's the most bizarre one we can find!

As this blog is going to be probably overrun with pregnancy pregnancy posts over the coming weeks I aim to keep them as detailed as possible. Being a first time mother I want to show exactly what pregnancy is like. I know it differs for everyone but these posts are going to show just a few examples of what can happen during the duration of a pregnancy. I hope they offer support to anyone who is going through something similar and, if not, a reason for the non pregnant readers (like my sister) to continue saying "I'm never ever having kids!" Something I used to say before I met my other half and after witnessing my other sister go through 3 pregnancies!

Morning Sickness

My morning sickness has finally subsided apart from the occasional night when I forget I can no longer eat peppers, chicken fajitas or pizzas for the duration of my pregnancy. Strange things not to be able to stomach considering how much I loved eating peppers before I got pregnant. In my first trimester and beginning of my second trimester my morning sickness was HELL. Everyday at 6pm without fail I would be hugging the toilet until late at night. It got to the point where all I wanted was to be asleep by 5pm because I knew it would begin and I couldn't stand it anymore! Luckily I have a very supportive boyfriend who was there to rub my back and endure me throwing up like a dinosaur, the poor guy. 

Cravings

I'd say by now my cravings have stopped for the time being. I've experienced the need to indulge in pickled onion monster munch crisps, cheese smothered in marmite, bowls of coco pops, and I have also been known to sit and eat a whole tub of coleslaw in one sitting! Lately, all I have wanted to eat is chocolate but I have always wanted a sweet nibble in the evening so I don't think that's anything baby related. 

Emotions

I'd say that these haven't been as bad as they were a few weeks ago but my boyfriend would probably state otherwise. There have been times where I have been in such a terrible mood that all I have wanted is to curl up under my duvet, not talk to anyone and just sleep for a week. I have always been an emotional person but now I am crying at the most random things like the John Lewis advert when it comes on TV, and just yesterday when I started tearing up when I was watching Mulan...

Movements

Aside from the abdominal pains of pregnancy (I recently read that your rib cage moves 5cm when you are pregnant to make room for the baby!) I have felt a lot more movements. She has already proved that she is a little fidget when it comes to being scanned, but now I feel her moving about all day and night. She is most active in the evenings by far and I can lay in bed and watch my stomach move when she kicks which is really strange to watch! Even as I write this post she is kicking me and it's 10am! My boyfriend has also felt her move now which is great as before she would always stop when he put his hand on my stomach. 

Dreams

In the first weeks of my pregnancy I was reading up on several different blogs that the dreams you experience when you are pregnant are terrifying. Luckily I haven't experienced this! My dreams have always been quite bizarre so I don't think much has changed apart from the fact that I am dreaming a lot more during the night and when I wake I remember more of them. Just last night I had a dream that I was going back to University but I was with my sisters. We had all done a food shop at Asda and they had left me with my younger sister who came to a lecture with me and had brought all our shopping. Everyone started asking us why we hadn't put our chilled items in the fridge and then the next thing I remember I was at a harbour... Weird right?! 

Size

Over the past few weeks I feel like I have doubled in size! I read that when you reach the 24-26 week stage your baby does grow to double the size so I am certain I have an early bloomer because I don't see how I can get any bigger in the next couple of weeks! I only have one bra that I comfortably fit in and I am too scared to get sized because I definitely feel as though I have gone up a few cup sizes! I didn't want to spend much money on maternity clothes when I am not going to be pregnant for much longer so, after a shopping spree to Primark, I now have several pairs of underwear and 2 more pairs of leggings that I can comfortably lounge around in. 

Work

I recently began working for a huge department store which probably wasn't the greatest idea. I'm sick of sitting at home with nothing to do and felt as though I needed to bring some money into the house over christmas so we can buy everything we need for the nursery and get our car. To me it feels like a huge mistake; I can't use ladders at work as my employer doesn't want the risk, and their are certain moving isles I won't be able to fit down when I start getting bigger. So over the busiest time of the year I will be hassling all the other employees to get boxes for me... I'm already started to regret this decision but as it is only temporary until January I am just going to try and stick to it!

I think when christmas is out of the way we can really start planning and stocking up on all of our baby needs for when she arrives. I have the same feeling of certainty that she will be early as I did when I was sure that we were expecting a girl. I really feel like she is going to be born in February and not her predicted date in March. It's a really bizarre feeling and I hope she stays in as long as she needs to but I am also realllly excited to finally meet her!

If anybody else is expecting I'd love to hear from you!

Jessica xo

Loved #2

1. New Look Oriental Floral Print Longline Kimono (SALE PRICE) 2. Warehouse Sparkle Kimono Jacket 3. Feverfish Kimono Jacket 4. New Look Dark Purple Tassel Devore Kimono

As most people who know me personally will know, I love florals! Match that with anything kimono/cape related and I am in apparel heaven! These are just some items from the latest kimono ranges that I am loving at the moment, my favourite being the floral new look number which also happens to be on sale at the moment! 

For more inspiration check out my pinterest wishlist.

Jessica xo

Loved #1

1. River Island Tartan Cape  2. Ted Baker Shopper  3. Yankee Candle Advent Calender 

Christmas Tag

1.  Do you prefer a real Christmas tree or synthetic?

Definitely real! Although they make such a mess when they start dropping pines they just smell amazing! We won't be getting one in our house though as my boyfriend can't stand them and has made out he is allergic...

2.  You're in a coffee shop, it's December, what do you pick?

The black forest gateau hot chocolate from Costa! They drizzle cherry puree on the top and it tastes soooo good! Only downfall is that on my last visit they were showing a board with calorie content and it turns out I have been consuming 700 calories each time I have one!

3.  Whats your favourite colour scheme for decorating the tree?

Gotta be the traditional! Gold, red and green.

4.  Giving or receiving?

Both! I love wrapping up presents and giving them to people but I also love receiving them and feeling like a child again on christmas day.

5.  To mince pie or not to?

To mince pie! Always!

6.  What's your traditional sunday lunch?

Roast chicken, goose fat potatoes, sage and onion stuffing and every kind of vegetable under the sun, but mainly cauliflower cheese!

7.  Christmas day fashion

Onesies! It will be one of my only days off around christmas this year so I don't intend on spending it getting dressed up when it will just be me and my boyfriend this year :)

8.  What's your favourite Christmas song?

The Pogues - Fairytale of New York

9.  What's your favourite Christmas film?

Either Jingle Bells (so bad it's good) or The Polar Express!

10. What's your favourite festive food?

Hands down... Stollen! I would eat it all year round if I could. 

11. Do you have any Christmas traditions?

I always have a satsuma in my stocking! I'm not sure if it is something that is commonly done but I have really fond memories of waking up at 3am with my sisters and eating the satsuma and chocolates whilst we sneakily opened our stockings... Definitely something I want to pass down to my child.

12. What tops your tree?

My family never really had a specific tree topper and put on anything that we liked that year. However, I definitely want to have one that my family can use every year and pass on down maybe...

13. What's the best part about Christmas for you?

I come from quite a big family where there is usually around 10-15 of us around on Christmas day with loads of children running around. That's one of the best parts about Christmas to me. It's all going to be so different now I am living with my boyfriend so it will be just the two of us until our little bundle of joy arrives! The other best part about christmas is decorating the house... my mum made out she was allergic to tinsel so I'm going to make my first Christmas away from home one to remember by decorating our new house like santas grotto haha!

Anybody else have satsumas on christmas day? I'm really intrigued to see if anybody else has this tradition too! x

Colour Crush - Oxford Obsession

1. New Look - Faux Fur Collar Coat 

2. Boots - Revlon Black Cherry 

3. New Look - Velvet Ballet Pumps 

4. Topshop - Felt Floppy Hat 

5. H&M - Draped Skirt 

6. H&M - Satin Alice Band 

7. New Look - Aztec Print Blanket Wrap

Oxford is definitely one of my favourite colours and as we are now in the full swing of autumn I can embrace this colour for the next few months. It seems to me that the only time when this colour can truly come out in style is when the leaves start falling from the trees, it starts getting darker outside a lot earlier then we are used to and when the black forest gateau hot chocolate is back on the menu in Costa! 

So here are my favourites for this months colour crush. If I had to choose one to favourite overall it would definitely be the hat! I was in Topshop recently and didn't even notice it (too busy looking at furry scarves!) until my boyfriend convinced me to try it on and now I am secretly hoping he will get it me for christmas!

What is everybody's favourite? 

Jessica x

New start!

So I have decided to start afresh on my blog! It's been quite a while since I posted last and after keeping up to date with several blogs I have decided to have a crack at starting mine again. Happy days! Here is a brief explanation to show where I am in life at the moment...

Me and my boyfriend have just relocated to Norwich for his job. We've moved out of our top floor apartment in Ipswich and into a lovely little 2 bed house near the Norwich city centre (about an hour up the road for those who don't know). It's newly painted, with antique fire places throughout and wooden floorboards in the lounge. It's definitely my kind of house and Rion is starting to like it too now. Not bad for spending 4 hours in Norwich frantically searching for a house because his company forced us to move! 

I have several ideas for how to decorate this place too. The fire places are calling out for something above them so we are looking for large mirrors or pieces of artwork to place above them. We might stain the floorboards a dark mahogany colour in the lounge and find a grey sofa instead of the white one as well. Our landlord seems like a nice guy and is happy for us to do all kinds of things to the house and the garden, as well as get a pet to keep me company!

As well as a big move to Norwich, we also found out yesterday that we are having a baby girl. I knew all along that I was pregnant with a girl, womans intuition and all that, but Rion was convinced it was a boy because of our family history of all the sisters on both sides having boys before girls. I finally broke with tradition! Success! So once christmas is out of the way we will be obsessively planning for a little miss to arrive and getting her nursery fully ready as we are less then halfway there at the moment!

I love home decor Pinterest boards so if anybody knows of any please send them my way. Also, pregnant ladies get in touch! I love chatting to other mothers who are expecting and as this is our first baby I will take all the advice I can get!

Jessica x