Sunday Morning Summary

1). There really is no place like London when the sun is out. Everything looks nicer, people are happier and the general vibe is amazing!

Last week I found myself without a classroom (exam time = random use of classrooms) and a year 11 group that I needed to do some GCSE revision with. Rather than drag them all over the place looking for an empty classroom we decided to go out into the sunshine and revise there instead! So we sat in a circle, eating sweets and revising the history of Nazi Germany.

It was actually great and I think because they were so relaxed and happy about being outside, even the normally quiet ones were getting really involved.

Granted, we did spend the last 5 minutes trying to throw sweets into one one girl's mouth but much learning took place so it was all good!

2). Given the glorious weather we have had, the hubbs and I decided to take our little ones to the zoo on Saturday. We were going to go to London Zoo but it would almost certainly have been horribly crowded so instead we went to Paradise Wildlife Park which is in Broxbourne, just outside the M25. It was so much fun and the kids loved it. Joshua was running around naming all the animals he could remember from books at home and then exhausted himself on the bouncy castle while Micah looked on amused!

We were taking pictures of some lions when the daddy lion decided he wanted some of mummy lion so we swiftly moved on... they're not old enough for THAT talk yet!

Time spent with my boys is so precious to me and I love creating these memories with them so it's always great to go out and have fun as a family.

3). Met up with a good friend today for food and fun in the park. We turned into little piggies in Marks and Spencer and probably bought enough for a family of four but it was all yummy and there wasn't actually much left at the end!!

Had a great time just sitting in the sun, catching up, eating and enjoying a glass (plastic cup) or two of wine.
Don't you just love those people who you can meet up with and literally laugh the entire time? They make life so much more fun!

Hope you have all been enjoying the sunshine... not to put a downer on things but apparently the weather is gonna get a bit crappy next week... oh well!

Take care and much love,

Ekaete xx

Respect Her Gangster

Evening all, Just thought I would do a quick blog post featuring a very beautiful young lady... my baby sister! Well, I say baby... She is actually 19, but she will always be a baby in my eyes. She recently came back from a trip abroad so came round to say hi on Sunday and drop off some gifts for the the boys. She was looking quite awesome as usual so I decided to take a few pics.

I just love the way that she will mix different prints and fabrics and styles and end up with a look which is so uniquely her. All the while looking fabulous. Fashion is about having fun, so wear what you want to wear and wear it with confidence.
Much love,
Ekaete xx

Argan Oil Love

For quite a while now, Argan Oil has been the new 'it' thing in the beauty world. It's benefits are supposedly numerous so I decided to jump on that little bandwagon and whilst out at a local beauty store I picked up a bottle.

Rather than get an Argan Oil infused product, I wanted the real stuff so went for pure Argan Oil instead. This one has been blended in with a little Sweet Almond Oil, as with a lot of oils/products applied to the skin.

So far I have used this in two ways. Firstly, I have used it in my hair to tame any frizziness and it works a charm. It isn't too thick and won't leave your hair looking like an oil slick as long as you use a small amount!
It is said to be great for dry hair and can be used to promote hair growth and also as a hot oil treatment before shampooing.

Secondly, I have used it on my face. Usually, I apply Bio Oil to my skin at night but for the past couple of days I have been using this and so far I really like it. It absorbs really easily so your face doesn't feel at all greasy and my skin felt so so smooth. The next morning my skin looked a bit fresher than usual and still felt very soft. Again, a little goes a long way so a couple of drops will suffice for your whole face.

I also used this in the morning today, just to see how my skin would like it and my foundation went on beautifully. So this seems to make a great primer too!

I must stress that I have only been using this for like two days and everybody will react differently to oils, especially when used on your face. But my experience of it has been great. I even woke up this morning to find that a pesky spot I had on my forehead (ewww!) had disappeared.
Argan Oil can be used for:

• dry skin
• wrinkles
• acne
• stretch marks
• scars
• weak nails
• chapped lips
• dry/frizzy hair

I am very interested in the beauty benefits of different oils and so also picked up some Jojoba Oil which I haven't yet used. I am already a Coconut Oil lover and sometimes use it in my hair or as a moisturiser. I actually used it throughout my pregnancy too in order to keep those pesky stretch marks at bay and I would recommend it highly! So many of the hair and beauty products we use contain small amounts of natural oils so why not leave out the chemicals and get straight to the good part?

Do any of you use any natural oils as part of your beauty routine? If so, which ones do you recommend?

Much Love,

Ekaete xx

Sunday Summary: Highlights from Last Week

1). Have been thinking a lot this week about the importance of inner happiness and being positive. Life really is too short to spend it complaining and focusing on things which bring you down. I caught myself getting a bit moany about the fact that I am back at work soon but then had to quickly check myself as I thought about the huge numbers of people who are currently looking for work... what right do I really have to complain about a job which I actually enjoy!

I don't know about you but I much prefer spending time with positive people. Afterwards, I always feel uplifted. Sometimes, spending too much time with very negative people is just a bit draining. You find yourself moaning or bitching about something, only to feel quite rubbish afterwards. No, it's not cool and not good for your wellbeing. Focus on the things and people which make you happy. Whenever you feel the need to be negative about something, try and put a positive twist on it. Of course, at first it will be forced, but after a while it will just become second nature.

I firmly believe that we should do one thing that makes us happy every day. That could be reading a magazine, painting your nails, watching Jersey Shore (is that just me?), going to the gym, praying, having a little bit of chocolate... anything.

2). So my first week as a redhead.
I'm about 70% there in terms of feeling fully confident with it. I do like it, but it's a big change and I get a little uncomfortable when people look at me! I told my husband this and in his typical logical fashion, he wondered why I decided to get red hair if I don't want to draw attention to myself... a valid point I guess!

3). I lost 3 pounds this week... Oh yeah!! *Fist pumps*
I realised that I have mentioned my weight loss wishes a lot on here but haven't really been updating on my progress. I will be doing so weekly from now on. I won't lie, I promise... :)

Much Love,

Ekaete xx

'Litas' for Less...

Hi..
Hope everyone has had a good week. It's weird that even though i'm still on maternity leave and so not actually at work, I still get that Friday feeling where you just feel happy!

I'm back at work in about 6 weeks though so just trying to make the most of the time I have left!

Anyway, so I was lucky enough to receive some Jeffrey Campbell Litas for Christmas after eyeing them up for quite some time. The first time I ever saw these boots, I hated them! I didn't get what the big deal was with these ugly, clown/stripper boots. But then the more I saw them and saw how other people were styling them, the more I liked them and eventually, I got the big deal and decided I must have them. They are amazzzzzing! They look so good with anything, whether it be a dress, jeans, shorts... whatever! They are also really comfortable due to the platform heel so that's a plus.
These are the type that I got...

Love them. I asked for them in black as I would obviously get more wear out of them.
So I decided that I would like these in some other colours but don't really want to spend that kind of money and then stumbled upon the perfect duplicates from Missguided.

Now to me, these look more or less identical. There isn't as wide a variety of colours but for £40.99, you will be saving yourself a lot of money. I'm liking the tan ones...
What do you think?

I actually like a lot of the shoes on the Missguided site. These in particular are fab...

Only £37.99 too, bargain.

Is anyone else still loving Litas? I think they are quite like marmite... it's either love or hate!
I love.

Much Love,

Ekaete xx

Sunday Summary...

Hello again! Two blog posts in one evening? I'm on fire!
As you can see I have a new hair colour... Due to me taking this pic in the evening, the lighting is crappy and so you can't get a proper sense of the colour. It's a bit brighter than this. I will def take a proper picture so you can see the colour better. It's quite a dramatic change and so I am still getting used to it, but so far all the responses have been positive and my husband really likes it so that's all good with me!

Let me know what you think... good or bad, I can take it!

1). Ok so I threw a surprise party for my hubby yesterday for his birthday. It has taken quite a lot of planning and also skilled lying, but it was all worth it in the end as it was a fabulous night and everyone had a great time. Most importantly he was totally surprised and was really touched at how much effort had gone into it. Will upload some pics once I get them from the photographer.

If any of you are ever looking for a party venue, I would definitely recommend Jewel Bar in Piccadilly Circus which is where we had the party. We hired a private room which was beautifully decorated and had its own toilets and bar. They also have a stunning main bar if you are ever looking for somewhere to go in the area.

2). I am already so into Celebrity Big Brother! I am unashamedly a massive reality TV buff and the lineup for this one is actually quite interesting. Not sure about Natasha Giggs being in there but I suppose she is the modern day definition of a celebrity so what can you do? I didn't even know who Michael Madsen was (which my husband was in utter shock about) but I hear he is very famous!!

3). I am FINALLY going to watch The Notebook tonight. I hear so much about this film and cannot believe I haven't seen it yet! I hear it's all romantic and lovely so the Mr will probably fall asleep! I cry soooo easily and imagine I will probably need some tissues besides me!

Hope you have all had a wonderful weekend... Are there any other reality TV fans out there? Everyone always insists they don't watch it but someone must be or they wouldn't show them anymore?
My current fave is The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills... love this show!

Much Love,

Ekaete xx

First of all I want to Thank...

Hello!
Big smiles all round today!
The gorgeous Mica at Confessions of a Obsessive Make Up Hoarder was kind enough to award my humble blog with the Liebster Blog award, which is for bloggers who have less than 200 followers and are perhaps just finding their feet in the world of blogging.
Thank you so much Mica, you actually made my day as it is so lovely to know that there are people who enjoy reading my ramblings.

Ok so time to share the love...

Here is how to participate in this nomination/award giving fun!
1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog
2. Link back to the blogger who awarded/nominated you
3. Copy and paste the blog award to your blog
4. Reveal your top 5 blog picks!!
5. Drop by your top 5 picks and let them know you chose them by commenting on their blog!

So here are 5 of my favourite bloggers, in no particular order...

1) Hannah at Whamos
This red headed beauty has a fabulous blog which is always a great read and includes lots of fashion, beauty tips and the odd recipe or two. Really likeable and you get a real sense of her personality from the way she writes.

2) Parveen at Handbags and Fashion Rags
Love Parveen's blog. Firstly it looks very elegant. Nice simple layout with lots of great quality pictures. Also her reviews are always really detailed and she writes very well so all the posts are easy to read. Lastly, she clearly loves to shop so is a girl after my own heart!

3)Faye at Behind the Bijoux
Faye makes the most beautifully exquisite pieces of jewellery and her blog is definitely worth visiting. There are also some quite quirky items which are really cute. Very talented.

4) Daniella and Christina at 2 Mates and a Blog
These 2 gorgeous girls have a really fun blog and both have a great sense of style too. Again, they write like they are having a chat with you which makes reading their posts a pleasure.

5) Lydia at Lydia Elise Millen
Lydia is an absolute stunner who has a great personal style and fashion blog. Her outfits are always so on point and she never looks anything other than amazing. I like that the clothes she wears are not all designer and so is living proof that you can look fabulous without spending a fortune.

Keep up the good work ladies, and please don't feel obligated to participate if you have already received this award... I probably should have checked first :s

Thanks again Mica, you are a sweetheart.
Oh and just in case it's not clear, all the blog names are hyperlinked so you can just click on them to check them out... happy reading!

Ekaete xx

Get Nakd

I decided to do a diet related post today, which I imagine is quite fitting as so many of us have started the new year wanting to lose weight or maybe just adopt a healthier eating regime.

I am currently low carbing (I won't lie, I fell of the wagon a little over Christmas... Meh... what can you do eh?) and this is helping me get back down to pre-pregnancy size.

One thing that I feel is really important is smart snacking. So many times we make bad food choices when we are a little peckish and begin to imagine the need to fill that chocolate bar shaped hole in our stomachs!

A couple of healthy snacks can help ease hunger pangs and also reduce the quantities we eat at main meals.

There are the obvious snacks like fruit or a low fat yoghurt but I just thought I would share some bars I have discovered which are super yummy and healthy in equal measures.

They are called Nákd bars and they use only natural ingredients (mainly fruit and nuts). However, unlike a lot of other so called 'healthy' snack bars they have no added sugar or syrups and are completely raw. In their words, the bars have been literally 'smooshed' together!

Apparently raw food is far healthier than cooked but that's an avenue I am not yet willing to explore!
They are gluten, wheat and dairy free and so are suitable for nearly anyone, regardless of dietary requirements.

Here are the ingredient lists from my 3 favourite flavours, which are the ones shown above...

They are great for carrying around in your handbag for when hunger strikes and you don't feel guilty as they are so healthy.
You can pick them up from any supermarket (I usually get mine from Tesco for about a pound) and also places like Holland and Barrett.

You can read more about them here.

What are your favourite healthy snacks?

Much love,

Ekaete xx