The thrifty guide to buying Christmas presents!

I love saving money

I hate buying anything full price!

So when it comes to buying Christmas presents every year, I really do my best to be frugal and be creative. There is always an added pressure to spend lots of money on gifts but I think something from the heart, which shows you know what a person is interested in, is much more special.

Source: Pinterest

 

I normally start thinking about Christmas presents in October and start buying little bits from then. It is always best to spread the cost over 3 or 4 pay packets as if you left it all to December, it would seem a whole lot more! 

I have recently started using websites such as Groupon to buy some presents which I think is an excellent way of saving money especially if you are looking for something like an experience day, however they sell products too. Every month or so I also get sent a '£5 off' anything' voucher to use on their site and I have used two vouchers so far to get practically free pressies! Instant money saved.

Source: Pinterest

Also when I first think of gifts to get, I'll always have a nosey on Ebay first to see if I can get it any cheaper on there. Bidding with 20 seconds to go (and I always put in the very maximum I can afford) I have got some great savings on new-ish items. Ebay is also great for nice personalised gifts and often a lot cheaper than the shops-for example if you wanted a personalised mug, Ebay would be the place to search (although you need patience to look through all the listings!)

Making gifts yourself if you have a bit of craftiness about you is also a great way to save money. Anything from bracelets to food hampers can be done on the cheap if you buy the items gradually from September-December. If you are making a food hamper for someone (or it could be a special pamper box) doing it yourself and making it pretty with some ribbon etc can be a lot cheaper than buying the £40+ hampers you see in shops and online.

 I also always keep a list of what I buy for people and what they cost so I can keep a track of what I am spending and set a little budget each month. It might sound obvious but then you can really see where your money is going.

 Source: Pinterest

Top shops for cheap pressies

99p store and Poundland (if you sift through the rubbish, they have some really nice things-especially cards from the 99p store-why spend £4 on one?!)

Card Factory I love this shop for its cheap cards and gifts and the quality is very good-great for stocking up on wrapping paper/gift tags etc.

BHS  They have a great christmas gift range but don't get their gifts straight away. A week or so before Christmas they take about 25-30% off it all and you'll be annoyed that you paid full price!

Boots I tend to think their gifts are a bit expensive but it's worth it when they do their 3 for 2 campaign!

Body Shop They sell perfect gifts for people who love a bit of pampering-especially their chocolate products range and they always have some kind of sale going on-very recently they had 40% off on their website and in store and I stocked up on some great pressies and stocking fillers.

xoxo

Wedding Planning: Bits I've bought!

So my little wedding drawer is coming along nicely! I haven't done much in the way of planning really as I can't really think about too much until after we go to Arundel next week and look at the possible wedding venues (yay) as I want to see the style of them and whether they may be suitable for us! However I have still been buying little wedding bits here and there if I have seen them about or they are a bargain-I may not use all the stuff I buy but it is giving me some good ideas about themes etc.

I have been using my wedding planner and collected some pretty pictures of 'retro lovers' to add to it for inspiration as I would love to use these to blow up and make collages for display when we do get married. I also have become an avid reader of Wedding Ideas magazine and I'm going to hunt down some back copies from Ebay as I seem to be paying a lot out each month!

I have also bought these pretty hanging things from Debenhams as I had some money on my gift card. They are by a designer called Gisela Graham and I love the shabby chic (I actually hate that phrase but best way to describe it!) style and they will look lovely when used! (I will use them, promise!).

In my wedding drawer I also have this lovely guestbook and memories box my Mum got me.

I also have been starting to collect little crafty bits here and there-ribbon by East of India is my favourite and I saw heart shaped balloons in Paperchase and couldn't resist. I love Paperchase's wedding section and when it comes to buying more stuff I will definitely turn to them!

I will do a venue blog after we visit Arundel next week and try and take some pics. I did email them an wedding enquiry but they didn't respond which isn't great but we'll see!

Hope you're all having a lovely week xoxo

p.s: On a side note, I spotted this beautiful 1950's wedding dress on Ebay, I am watching but it is unfortunately probably a little too small for me. I love how original and pretty it is.

Link Here

Life works out best for those who make the best out of the way life works out...

Source: Pinterest

I haven't had much inspiration to blog recently but I thought I'd share how I have been feeling of late. Thankfully it's HAPPY! Or very close to it. I feel like I am really getting a hold of my anxiety which I am proud of. I have been taking some advice from a really good friend and have been keeping my mind as occupied as possible because of course, my anxiety breeds when I don't have much to think about. I definitely have A LOT to think abour right now! I am always doing something and that is the way I like it-so if I'm not blogging, I am reading forums, I am researching, I am writing, I am reading my Kindle, I am wedding planning! Maybe it's because now I am getting older I have a lot more "adult" things to think about and I have found myself enjoying just relaxing and watching the world go by (when I am not working that is).

 I always find that making plans help me and where money allows, I like to do as much as possible whether it's seeing new places or just going for walks, trips to the park etc. I am lucky to live in such an amazing city and I can honestly say I probably have only seen about 50% of what London has to offer! So I hope to do as much as I can when time allows.

I also really love this time of year and the lead up to Christmas is keeping me happy. I love shopping for gifts, writing lists etc. Christmas up until I lost my Nan was always such a wonderful time filled with so many happy memories. I loved it as a kid and I can't wait until I can spoil my own little one with gifts! 

I am also building much more confidence in my role as a teaching assistant. I make mistakes like anyone and my anxiety and depression often hit in the morning before I get up and go but I force myself to keep moving forward. I will never let it win, I am too strong for that. I feel like I am good at my job and I love working with such wonderful children, helping them progress at such an important age. During the dark days I remind myself of all the wonderful things I have to look forward to. The next few years will be life changing for me and I am so excited.

I have always made the mistake in the past of thinking that being 'happy' was a place you had to be in but now I understand that happiness is a journey that you will always be on. There is no destination for it and as long as I keep moving forward then I am doing the right thing. I am slowly shedding away all that makes me unhappy. Sometimes that is the hardest thing do do but it has to be done. 

These ramblings probably only make sense to me but it helps to put them down. I will resume to more wedding-ish blogs soon but to be honest I don't want this just to be a wedding blog, it is a little of everything!

I am off to have a lovely bubble bath and then X Factor pretty much takes over my evening. I love Jade Ellis and James Arthur, the talent is good this year but the cliches of the show are ever so clear. STILL, I watch and get sucked in.

Have a lovely evening.

XOXO

Date Day

Michael and I always make sure we spend days together just going out and having fun; when works gets stressful especially! We like to arrange date days (or sometimes nights!) and most of the time they are just cheap and cheerful.

Last weekend we decided to use the Zizzi's restaurant vouchers that my Mum got us as an engagement gift. We went to one of our favourite towns, Richmond Upon Thames, which is only about a 25 minute bus ride from us. We decided to splash out and get some of the pizzas from their new range-they were very tasty but far too big for us to finish! We also had some of their amazing tomato & presto bread. We decided to get a dessert and take it home!

 

We went for a lovely walk along the river and after discovering how expensive the pubs are (£7-£8 for a cocktail, I just can't do it!), Michael suggested we head to the supermarket, buy some cheap alcohol and make cocktails ourselves! It was lots of fun trying out the flavours and after a few, I felt rather tipsy!

We played the "Mr and Mrs" game that Michael bought me but it adapted it for 2 players-Michael won by about 3 points but I don't think that means he knows more about me ;) he just got very easy and obvious questions!

We had such a fun day and I love how we can still enjoy eachother's company and make so much effort even after being together for so long. I think it's really important always to take a day, even if it's just once a month, to do something special with your partner. I love it when we go on trips away but these are the days I love the most, where we make our own fun.

We have lots of fun plans for half term as we're lucky to both be off from October 26th-5th November. We are going to Arundel and to see Skyfall at the IMAX! I also am planning to visit Brighton for some shopping with my Mum and see Cabaret the Musical (hello Will Young) with my lovely friend Grace! Can't wait <3

xoxo

Wedding Planning: 50's Theme

I really would love a 50's themed wedding; convincing Michael that it is a good idea may be a problem but I am going to keep researching anyway! I don't know whether you could have 50's themed food (burgers and milkshakes don't seem very wedding like but who knows? Maybe coke floats and cherry ice cream sundaes would be fun!) but it could definitely work with the clothing and decoration. I have had my heart set on a 50's style wedding dress for a long time and found a great website called

Honeypie Boutique and they have a lovely collection of 50's dresses with the option of lace overlays and pettitcoats. Their prices are also very reasonable and I am considering getting the 'Lauren' dress with lace over the top. Accessorized with a medium length veil and some flowers it could look great.

I have also taken to one of my favourite websites Pinterest and gathered lots of 50's wedding ideas and 'pinned' it to my inspiration board. What do you think? (All images from Pinterest.com)

Wedding dress inspiration-love the ribbon around the waist idea, so cute!

 Ideas for 50's style favours and decorations-cute polka dot cupcakes, heart biscuits, retro sweeties, gumball machines, retro popcorn cases!

This gave me the idea for a 50's wedding car, it would be amazing if money allowed it!

50's wedding invitations from Luulla.com-how nice are these?!

So many ideas in my head it's overwhealming! 

xoxo

Depression and Me...

So a little bit of a serious blog post today but certainly not negative. The lovely wave of depression has hit me for the past few days-I have come through the other side smiling but that doesn't mean it doesn't feel horrible at the time. I have always been open and honest about the fact I suffer from depression and the fact that sometimes I get good days and sometimes I get bad days. Compared to 10 years ago when it was 80% bad and 20% good, I'd say that has completely flipped and my sadness is much more rare.

When I feel depressed I often feel myself regress back to my youth and feel what I felt back then. I always find it hits me worse in the mornings and lessens as the day goes on. It is a hard feeling to describe to someone who has never felt 'depressed' but I honestly feel that most people have at least once in their life. It is not simply feeling fed up, it is much more than that. It is a feeling of deep sadness that is often for not one particular reason; it takes over your mind and your body to the point where you have to force yourself to do things which normally wouldn't require much effort. It is unbelievably frustrating when you can't pinpoint why you feel how you do and when someone asks "So, why do you feel like that?", sometimes there is no real answer.

Depression can happen to someone who seemingly, on the outside, is perfectly happy. I sometimes am not sure whether you can be happy as well as suffering from depression. I don't get moments of 'mania', I just get moments in my life where I feel content and that I am heading in the right direction.  In fact right now I get many moments where I feel content and I often wonder whether people may think, "Well how can she be so happy yet she suffers from depression?". Well, I see my depression as something that is always underlying but 80-90% can be just 'left' to be and not affect my daily life. I choose to not let it affect my life-I chose to go to university, to get a full time job, to better myself because I felt like that way I was winning and not letting it define me as a person.

As I get older, I get more and more aware of how I feel and even why I feel like I do. Is there is a cause of my depression and anxiety? Is it just something I was born with? I don't know exactly. However I have never been in any denial of what I suffer from and I do feel more proud than ever that despite the 'black cloud' I have become a good, successful person who still manages to be ambitious, try new things and strive for a better life.

I feel much better today. I am looking forward to a lovely date with Michael at the weekend. Sunday is my Grandad's anniversary (8 years) and whilst I am dreading it, I know I have no choice but to get through it. I always bare in my mind that my grandparents are a part of me and would be proud of the life I have made for myself.

xoxo

Wedding Planning: High Street Dresses

Well Michael and I are visiting Arundel in half term for a little trip but more importantly to look at their wedding venues, yay! As I mentioned in a previous post, we love the look of the town hall and I also like the look of a hotel in Arundel which hold weddings-the ceremony and the reception. I hope to take some pictures and get some questions answered! :)

I have been recently looking at wedding dresses from high street shops. They tend to be much cheaper (normally under £500) and I have noticed that Coast, Phase Eight and Monsoon have some beautiful dresses and I could actually afford them! They tend to be quite plain but classic. Here are a few I particularly like...

LANA LACE MAXI DRESS-COAST

£450.00

  I really like this dress from high street shop Coast. I would prefer it to have sleeves but the lace detail at the top is lovely and what is even better is that I get 20% student discount at Coast making this dress a bit more affordable.

ADDARIA SPOT DRESS-COAST

£295.00

This isn't a traditional wedding dress or even particularly special but I love it. With it's 50's style and a big petitcoat underneath it could look so cute and the price is reasonable-with 20% off it would be under £250!

Elizabeth Wedding Dress-Phase Eight

£450.00

 

I noticed this dress very early on in my research and have read a lot of reviews. The sleeves are it's main appeal for me, being lovely and lacy, however it looks like the sort of dress for a tall person and being only 5 foot 3 I think it drown me.

Rose Lace Long Sleeve Bridal Dress-BHS

Price: £595.00

I love this dress but of course, my favourite is the most expensive! I love the lace at the top although the bottom is quite plain. BHS always do sales though so I shall keep an eye out.

Ivory lace and satin bridal dress-Debenhams

Price: £150.oo

 This dress from Debenhams is an absolute bargain and very similar to the last dress but a whole lot cheaper! I am keeping my eye out for something a little bit more special though.

XOXO