30 Before 30

Following on from my post a few weeks ago about turning 28, it got me thinking about things that I want to achieve by the time I am 30. I wanted to think of some attainable goals that are realistic for me and that can be done in the next 2 years, not things like “travel the world” as I need a lot more time and money to add that to the list! Let me know what you think of these goals. Hopefully I will still be blogging in 2020 and can update you with how many of these I actually got ticked off!

Thank you to Kim for taking these photos.

1. Get married – should be pretty easy this one!
2. Go abroad with James, we have never had a holiday abroad with just the 2 of us.
3. Finish decorating the house – Only the bathroom, kitchen, porch, hallway and spare rooms to go!
4. Sort the garden out to a reasonable state.
5. Host a garden party/BBQ – Could even be an idea for my 30th!
6. Try a food challenge  - you know like the giant burgers or eat 1200 chicken nuggets? Yeah I wanna attempt one of those.
7. Run 100 parkruns. I have currently done 27 so only 73 to go in 100 weeks!
8. Run a marathon. At the start of the year I set myself the challenge of running a whole 5km without stopping and have already smashed that and ran 10km! So I would love to take part in a marathon before I am 30. I am doing a walking Marathon in a couple of months so to complete that will be fantastic.
9. Run a half marathon – one step at a time hey!
10. Get a tattoo. I have no idea what, it’s just been so long I feel I need another.
11. See more of the UK. We have some amazing places right on our doorstep, I would love to travel more locally.
12. Read 30 books. I really got into reading last year but have completely slacked off after being put off by an awful book. I want to pick this up again.
13. Host a dinner party.
14. Have Christmas at home.
15. Try something different from my local Chinese. (you know instead of chicken balls, chow mein, chips and sweet and sour sauce)
16. Learn to Salsa. I have been attending Salsa classes recently but have no rhythm and would love to one day find that natural flow.
17. Go glamping.
18. Finally get to my ideal target weight.
19. Win at Bingo (I’ll even take £5, I just want to win!)
20. Treat myself to one really expensive item of clothing or accessory.
21. Visit a cat café.
22. Get a new front door.
23. Own a houseplant that I don’t end up killing after a few months.
24. Get a new pet. Ideally I would like another cat, but will settle for a goldfish if needed to complete the goal.
25. Continue blogging and get back into a consistent schedule.
26. Have an actual skincare routine – any tips?
27. Cut my hair short again – currently I am growing it for the wedding but I want a really good chop after.
28. Learn to make pastry from scratch.
29. Have the living room feel more homely.
30. Write a list of 40 things to do before I am 40!

What's on your bucket list?

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Father's Day Gift Guide*

Father’s Day is fast approaching and I don’t know about you but I always struggle with ideas on what to get my dad. Luckily his birthday was about 6 months ago so I know he will be running out of some essentials so I can get an easy win with those, but what about that main gift? What sort of things do you usually get your dad to show your appreciation?

Give your father the gift of time with the gorgeous range of Daniel Wellington watches from Browns Family Jewellers. Browns Family Jewellers specialise in new and vintage jewellery.

I was very kindly sent the Daniel Wellington Classic Durham watch which retails on their website at just £99.99 at the moment. The dial is a lovely eggshell white which compliments the genuine American leather strap. It’s a watch that can be dressed up or down and a great timepiece that holds your own personal story. My dad will know that the watch came from me and it will hold a nice memory.

Spoil your dad this Father’s Day with a whisky to suit his personality. The premium William Grant & Sons UK portfolio has a unique whisky for every dad. William Grant & Sons Ltd. is an independent family-owned distiller headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded by William Grant in 1887. The company distils some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch Whisky.

My dad is generally a beer lover so I would probably choose the Glenfiddich IPA Experiment Whisky. This is the world’s first single malt Scotch whisky finished in bold and zesty IPA craft beer casks. Presented in a unique box, this would be the perfect treat for your dad. RRP from £44.93 at any major retailer, including Amazon.

What will you be buying your father?

*I received some items in this blog post free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.

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The Christie Loves Box #2

Well when it comes to Birthday gifts, Kim always goes all out and this year was no exception. If you saw my previous Christie Loves Box post then you will know that the box consisted of a magazine, created by Kim and lots of corresponding goodies.

I can tell a lot of time and effort has gone into creating this gift for me and it was filled with everything I love. Even the magazine was put together so carefully with flatlays and photos of some of the products and how best to use them. I am very thankful for what Kim has made for me so keep reading if you want to find out what was inside.

Firstly I opened the book and flicked through the pages to see what goodies were inside. I immediately spotted this T-shirt and recognised it to be similar to one I had shot Kim in on one of our days out from Tricky Ink. I absolutely love the cactus emblem, it is very me. I am hoping that when me and Kim next meet up I can get her to take some photos of me in it. In the meantime, check out Kim's post on how to style simple tees. Following on from the cactus theme I also received this tea-light holder but Kim's top tip was to use this to store a beauty blender. What an amazing idea I thought! Beauty blenders can get mouldy if they aren't stored properly so this is such a genius way to do it!

This next gift has such a personal touch to it and I really like it and the meaning behind it. The words say "nothing shines brighter than the heart of a good friend". What i love about this is the stone in the middle with a heart. The colours match my living room decor too so I can have this on display and it will remind me of our friendship.

This trinket dish has multiple uses and the magazine suggested it to be a great way to apply foundation, by popping it on the dish instead of on your hand. I never thought to do this before and sometimes I mix lighter and darker shades depending on the time of year and this will save me making a mess. It can easily be cleaned. In the meantime I have been using it to store my engagement ring on the rare occasions I take it off.

This has to be one of favourite gifts, the Dusty Rose Melted Clover by Too Faced. I mean, look at that packaging! It's gorgeous. I also got a couple of other Too Faced goodies to try out. I love the consistency and lasting power of the Too Faced melted matte collection and although I only have 2, I know I will have to purchase more colours! I am loving the colour and it looks great for an every day look. 

As a crazy cat lady, I was pleased to see some cat themed coasters in my box. I love the simplicity of these and being black and white they go perfectly with any decor. I have been dying to use them but needed to take this photo first - blogger problems! 

Now this was a great little extra to find at the bottom of my box. My favourite fudge! Now I bought some of this fudge when I was with Kim but it must have been a good few years ago now, and then Kim bought me some more. I can;t believe she remembered that it was my favourite and as soon as I took this photo I ate the lot! Oops!

The last little surprise in my box inside the magazine was a save the date for September. I am not yet sure what I will be doing but I have marked it on my calendar and look forward to whatever Kim has in store!

Overall this was a really lovely gift box filled with goodies and the magazine that went with it was fantastic. I do wish I had thought of such an idea myself! Thanks again Kim for being such a fab friend and putting all this together for me!

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Birthday Haul 2018

Another year has passed and I am another year older. I had an amazing birthday and cannot believe it's all over and I am another year close to the big 3-0! I received some lovely presents and cards and thank everyone who bought me something or wished me a Happy Birthday. These posts shouldn't need a disclaimer but you know the drill. I am not bragging, I have not named who has got me each thing and I have not featured every item. I hope this post gives you some good ideas for gifts for your friends and family. Lets get to it!

First I thought I would share some of the running gifts I received. I have started getting into running this year and it is starting to become a hobby that I enjoy and I never thought I would enjoy exercise! I received so many handy presents such as running socks, a towel, belt, magnets to hold race numbers and lots more goodies. I also received a 6 month subscription to a running magazine which I have really been enjoying and getting lots of tips from. I also got a couple of pairs of trainers which aren't for running but fit well in this photo. Using my birthday money I treated myself to some proper running shoes and got my gait analysed so I can't wait to break them in.

I got quite a few bits for the house including a new clock for the living room which I had been eyeing up. I just need to get James to hang it on the wall! I also received some mixing bowls which I was so pleased with as I had been making cakes in a heart shaped bowl which was just impossible to stir, so these round ones are going to change my life. I also received some candles, my fave! I also love the drinking glasses I got and cat themed mug!

Clearly my friends and family know me well as they got me some edible goodies and prossecco. I am yet to try the salted caramel kettles although I am very intrigued! I also got some of my favourite sweets, fudge and truffles. I feel spoilt for choice. Sorry Slimming World! One of my friends also knows I love food and got me a restaurant choice voucher so I cannot wait to spend it on a nice meal.

Some other gifts I received include socks, dvds, a camera bag and strap and some smellies. All of which I am really chuffed with. The DVD came from my cat, he thought I might like to watch it. I also got a chair for the garden so I can sit outside in the sunshine! I look forward to attempting the DIY cactus too!

I was lucky enough to receive some books too including a few recipe books. I can't wait to try some of the salted caramel recipes, using my new bowls of course! 

Last but not least, I received the second edition of the Christie Love's Box, cleverly put together by Kim. If you've seen my Christmas Gift Haul you will know I received Box 1 last year and it was filled with goodies. This year was no different and I was really impressed with the contents. You will have to wait until my next post to see what is inside though, as I think it deserves its own post! 

Let me know if you've had a birthday recently, and what goodies you received?

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Twenty Eight

It’s my birthday today and I just wanted to reflect on a few things. I’ve officially lived an entire decade as an adult. That’s over 10 years of being able to drink and drive (not at the same time of course!) I cannot believe where the last 10 years have gone, and the fact that in another 10 years I will nearly be 40. Where does time go?!

I still remember my 18th birthday quite well. I remember going into the city to buy an 18 DVD, and I didn’t even get asked for ID. I had pizza hut, but I’m not sure I had any alcoholic drinks. I was in sixth form at the time and earned a part time wage, yet seemed to have so much more money than I do now – funny that! My weekends when I turned 18 were all about going to The Waterfront, Norwegian Blues and Lloyds. It was the place to be at the time. I remember having a house party and then spending a lot of time at other house parties as not quite everyone was 18. It was all about getting insanely drunk on cheap alcopops and then walking home or crashing out on a sofa. Those days seem like a lifetime ago. We’ve all grown up, moved on. We have our own lives and pets and homes. People are married, some with children and we no longer spend all of our money on VKs and sweet and sour chicken balls (most of the time).

I went out a lot during my 18th year. I dread to think how much money I spent on alcohol, taxis, gig tickets and cheesy chips. I went to gig after gig at the UEA, every week including bands like Go:Audio, Funeral for a Friend, Enter Shikari and The Gallows all in 2008. I got my first car, a Peugeot 106 and have had 4 more cars since.

28 for me is the age I get married. The year I become a wife. I leave behind 27 and 2007, the year I  went to New York, got engaged and started to make my house a home. An amazing year with its highs and extreme lows. I think 28 will top 27, I don’t know why – I can just feel it. I have big things planned for this year, and I can’t wait to fully enjoy the remaining years of my 20’s. The best days are still to come.

Here’s to 28! Cheers.

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