Christmas Afternoon Tea - Blogmas

Today we went for a Christmas Afternoon Tea at one of the local tearooms. This has almost become an annual tradition for my family, as my Dad's birthday is so close to Christmas we use it as a mini pre-birthday and Christmas celebration. It's nice to catch-up with immediate family members and enjoy a selection of naughty goodies. We, as a family, are particularly fond of Afternoon Teas and are always looking for a new place to visit to test their version of the British speciality. 

If you know any great Afternoon Tea spots that I could visit, please let me know!


Love & Kisses,

Vicki xoxo

Christmas Cookies - Blogmas

I know I've already missed a week of Blogmas posts - but I have the good excuse that I was on holiday in Berlin (post to come)! This evening my sister and I baked some Christmas cookies to get into the festive spirit a little bit more.

We already had the cookie cutters, so we went to Waitrose to get the ingredients for gingerbread men. After spending some time gathering all that we needed, we headed to the baking isle and found a Christmas Gingerbread Men Kit! We put all of our ingredients back and decided to try out the kit instead. 

The cookies are cute and taste alright, but I'm sure if we made them from scratch that they'd taste much better. My sister and I have agreed that we will have to re-attempt them ourselves at some point before Christmas. 

Here are a few pictures from our evening baking session!

Have you done any festive baking or cooking? I'd love to hear about any recipes that were particularly yummy!

Love & Kisses,

Vicki xoxo

Cutest Gingerbread House - Blogmas 2014

Every year at the beginning of December, I go to our local "Heidi's" Bakery and buy the cutest, candy-coated, Gingerbread House. Year-to-year they look slightly different as they are handmade, but they are always adorable and extremely scrummy! 

For my first 'Blogmas' post I thought I'd just share a few pictures of this year's Gingerbread House that I bought today. Please excuse the poor quality photos taken on my iPhone (and in bad lighting)! I'll take photos of it unwrapped after Christmas so you can see it better.

I totally recommend anyone who has a Heidi's near them to buy one as they are only £11.95 and worth every single penny! I may even attempt my own version at some point this December! 

Love & Kisses,

Vicki

Keeping Moisturised all Year Round!

It's wintertime now, and I can feel my skin becoming more dry since the heating's been turned on. I use simple moisturisers as I'm still fairly young, but I will soon be looking at investing in some more up-market anti-ageing skincare products. 

Here are just a few of the products I'm currently using whatever the weather:

Hair:

Pictured is the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor. I love the smell of all the Aussie products and how soft they make my hair feel. I use this treatment and a couple of other Argan Oil ones, once a week (ok, sometimes once a fortnight if I remember)!

Body:
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula  -  I know this body butter is meant for stretch-marks, but it feel so hydrating on the skin! I use this on my whole upper body, hips and thighs. It leaves my skin feeling so healthy and I know I'm protecting my skin in preparation for future pregnancies (hopefully) and to reduce the likelihood of stretch-marks.

Face (& Body):

I know I shouldn't, but I use Nivea Soft Moisturising Cream on my face every day. The smell is so clean and fresh, and I love how the cream sinks into my skin leaving it feeling super soft and hydrated! I also use this product on my body and hands. I do probably need to by a face cream though!

Lips:
Wearing Nivea's Lip Butter it's SO hard not to lick your lips! It smells AMAZING and tastes sweet too! I don't usually put lip balm on as I usually wear moisturising lipsticks, but this winter my lips have definitely needed a little bit of extra care!

I would love to know what products you use to keep your whole body feeling good - let me know in the comments below!

Love & Kisses,

Vicki xoxo

How to beat First Day at New Job nerves

This is a pretty random subject to write a blogpost about, but I have my reasons! I had my first day at my new job a couple of weeks ago and was quite anxious about it. I wanted to be as stress-free as possible on the day and take everything in my stride. I hardly slept the night before, couldn't eat breakfast and wondered if I'd forgotten anything. Despite this the day went very well! I felt as prepared as I could have been and everyone I met was very welcoming and kind. Reflecting on this experience, I thought I'd write a list of ways to beat 'first day nerves' just in case it helps anyone relax a little before starting a new job.

1. Preparation!
- Know what you need to wear and lay out your outfit the night before.
- Ask whether you need to bring anything (i.e. laptop, packed lunch etc) and make sure everything is prepared and ready the night before.
- Find out where your job is, how to get to it and how long it will take you. Remember to try to be a little early!
- Fill your car with petrol or buy your train ticket / bus pass the day before.
- Make sure you have a drinks bottle for water. It's important to stay hydrated and drinking helps to prevent dry-mouth when you're nervous.
- Make sure you have change in your purse for the car park, vending machine, or just in case.
- Make a checklist of everything you need and everything you need to do, Lists help to clear your mind and keep you on track.

2. The night before ...
- Try to relax! (easier said than done, I know!)
- Keep yourself occupied to avoid intrusive thoughts and anxiety.
- Have a nice, hot bath, or paint your nails. Pampering can help you to relax, but also makes you feel and look good.
- Eat a filling and nutritious evening meal. You probably will be too nervous for breakfast in the morning so you need to make sure you eat well the night before.
- Set a few alarms. I always set 2 or 3 alarms to make sure I definitely wake up when I'm supposed to do something important the next morning. Leave enough time for you to get ready in the morning at a relaxed pace so that you are not stressed or rushed.

3. The first day ...
- Get ready to some relaxing music and a good radio station.
- Drink lots of water and try to have even just a little nibble of breakfast.
- Make yourself feel and look good! Make-up and perfume can boost your confidence.
- On the journey sing to the radio to distract yourself.
- It's your first day - they expect you to be nervous! No one expects you to be an expert on your first day of a new job!!
- Smile and say 'hello' to everyone you come across at work.
- Be polite, approachable and listen to everything that is said to you (even if you don't even remember half of it).
- Ask lots of questions. Don't be afraid to ask about something if you don't understand.
- Remember your manners. Manners go a long way, so remember to say 'please', 'thank you' and 'pardon'.


Those are the only points I can think of right now! I'm sure I've forgotten lots that I was thinking of including! Do you have any tips or tricks on how to make a first day less daunting?


Love & Kisses,

Vicki xoxo