New purchases

I was paid last week so on Saturday decided to head into town to treat myself to a few pieces that I've been lusting after.

I never usually go for black, but when I saw this studded jumper I just knew I would wear it all season! I chose to get a size bigger so I can wear it longer over leggings. Now all I need is some studded boots to complete the look!

This is the bucket bag from Zara... I have lusted after this for weeks, toying over whether to get the tan or black. I have a lot of tan accessories, but not a single black bag! So I decided to go for something different.

The Eau de Toilette is from one of my favourite's, Soap & Glory. I have never bought myself an S&G product before, only ever been bought them as a gift for Christmas... but I spotted this fragrance last time I was in boots and it smells even better than their moisturisers and body mist! At £16.50 for 50ml fragrance, it is great value compared to some of the designer brands. I think this is going to be my new every day scent!

I have never done an outfit post before, but I am going to give it a go when I wear this jumper. I've also got some Zara jeans and some Next leggings on order, so will do another post when they arrive!

Jumper - Topshop
£42

Bag - Zara
£39.99

Soap & Glory Eau de Toilette - Boots
£16.50

Marrakech... sun, souks and snake charmers!

In June, my boyfriend and I went on our first holiday together in 5 years! We have been together for 7 so it was really about time! We went to Marrakech in Morocco. I went last year with my Mum and loved everything about it.

We booked our two week all inclusive holiday to Riu Tikida Garden Hotel through First Choice, for £649 (total bargain!), and flew from Manchester on 21st June.

http://www.firstchoice.co.uk/holidays/morocco-marrakech-holidays/marrakech/riu-tikida-garden/

Sunshine

The weather was HOT!!! By about 10am it was 35° and by midday it was 40°+. The hottest it got whilst we were there was 49°.  I love the heat so was more than happy but if you're thinking of going, it is worth considering the time of year and how hot you want it to be.

The Hotel:

Our hotel was lovely! It is rated 4* and has a mixture of reviews on Trip Advisor. We thought it was fab, the staff were very accommodating, even helping us to move rooms on the first day so we could have a balcony. The reps were great; I had printed a list of things I wanted to do (non-Thompson) whilst we were there and the rep made all the phone calls and arranged all our bookings and didn't charge us. 

The restaurant was great, plenty of fresh Moroccan food (and the standard pizza/pasta for the non-adventurous types). There was plenty of cocktails at the all inclusive bar, but we chose to take our drinks outside as in Morocco the smoking ban doesn't exist so it was a bit too much to sit indoors. 

The hotel has a huge pool, which is lovely and refreshing in the heat! My one and only complaint about the whole holiday is the ridiculous towel-gate situation! On our first day, we didn't get to the pool until about 11, where we found all the poolside loungers were taken (or reserved) so we happily found a couple of loungers in the garden area. I was laid on my front, reading my kindle with my hands on the floor. Unfortunately I hadn't realised the ground was infested with ants. My hands swelled up and were very painful for a good few days. So after that I wanted to be around the pool, on the paved ground. But you had to be up by 8am to grab a lounger... any later and they were gone! I wake up early anyway so was happy to get up at 8 and read my kindle by the pool for an hour before waking the boyfriend up for breakfast. It was well worth it for getting a good spot but I wish there wasn't such a ridiculous culture of reserving beds with towels, when you're not even going to sit there until after lunch!!!

Trips:

I did my research beforehand and thanks to Trip Advisor I had a list of things that we wanted to do whilst we were there. This included: 

A visit to the Yves Saint Laurent gardens - beautiful, traditional gardens with lots of photo opportunities!

Link to Trip Advisor reviews

A day out at the Ousiria Water Park - pretty basic but a fun day out!

Plenty of trips to the Jemaa El Fna centre - also known as the Old Town. The famous square is bustling, but watch out for the snake charmers, and monkey men! I loved bartering with the stall owners and got myself a few bargains! We also ate out one evening, but avoided the street stalls as the freshness of the food looked questionable!

Sky Bar - in the part of Marrakech known as the New Town. It wasn't my favourite part of Marrakech as it is a bit modern and doesn't have the traditional charm! But the view from the top of the roof bar was amazing, watching the sunset was just stunning! (Bit pricey though!)

La Mamounia Hotel - voted one of the top hotels in the world, we decided to have a look around and see how the other half live. So we dressed up in our gladrags and ordered ourselves some drinks (£20 for a cocktail, £13 for a beer!!!!) and then went for a stroll around the grounds! 

Hot Air Balloon - This was my favourite part of the holiday. I spent weeks posting my old clothes on ebay to save up for this and it was worth every effort! We were collected at 5am from our hotel, and taken out towards the Atlas Mountains. We watched the sunrise over the stunning landscape, before landing and eating a traditional Berber breakfast. We even got a camel ride thrown in as an added extra!

Marrakech by Air

Overall, it was a dream holiday! The perfect combination of culture and relaxation! 

Zaggora... they really do work!

I came across Zaggora on facebook a few months ago... I was very dubious so started doing some research to see whether they get good reviews. I couldn't find a single bad review anywhere, and I also found that they were selling on ebay for about £30 so decided that if they didn't work for me I could always sell them!

I chose the Viva Hotpants in pink (I paid £40 as I had a 20% discount code - usually £50). They did take about two weeks to arrive but I was told there would be a delay when I ordered. 

By the time they arrived, I had 2 weeks until my holiday so I decided to take on the Zaggora two week challenge. Basically, it challenges you to weigh and measure yourself before spending at least 30mins wearing the hotpants every day for two weeks, then weigh and measure yourself again and see what a difference it has made. 

I was going to the gym every morning for about 40 mins, so just started to wear them during my usual workout. The first thing to note, is how sweaty you get! It really surprised me (even though I had read about this beforehand). I also found that they can be quite noisy when your legs rub together (i.e. whilst on the treadmill) so I started wearing my usual workout trousers over the top which has solved the problem.

The other issue is that they are handwash only. I would need to handwash them anyway because I'm using them every day but I feel like they could do with a really good wash in the machine!

The results:

So... after two weeks, I weighed and measured myself again and here are the results:

Weight - lost 8lb

Waist - lost 1 inch

Hips - lost 2inches

Bum - lost 2 inches

Thighs - lost 1 inch each

I realise that Zaggora critics say that it is just water weight and that you will put it all back on again when you stop using them, but what Zaggora has done is give me the motivation to keep going. I was going to the gym every day and barely noticing any change until I stated using these. I would highly recommend to anyone!!!

Buy yours here (keep an eye out on their Facebook page too as they often have discount codes):

http://zaggora.com/the-store-viva/

http://www.facebook.com/zaggora

Ombre nails

I have seen ombre mani's everywhere recently and have been very tempted to give it a go but have been put off by the thought of how messy it would be. It's one thing getting my left hand ok, but trying to do the same on my right hand just seemed impossible. Then today, I painted my nails as usual, and before they were fully dry I started faffing around and smudged the paint. Rather than start again, I decided it might be a good excuse to give the ombre nails a go! So I chopped up a kitchen sponge and chose a darker shade of pink and started dabbing! I was surprised at how easy it was! Although I have found I've got little bits of sponge now stuck to my nails! Will try and avoid that next time!

To create this look - I used...

A kitchen sponge

Barry M nail polish in Peach Melba and Bright Pink

The final result...

Moda Handbags

It has been just over 2 months since I left Moda in Pelle, to take up a Trainee Buying position at Next. In my new job, I am working in the Home department, working on Downstairs Furniture. It is a total contrast to the shoes and handbags I have grown to love!Whilst I have left Moda, I still keep an eye on their website and love to see the new shoes, boots and bags coming in! I got particularly excited to see the new handbags over the last few days. I spent my last few months working with the Junior Buyer developing a range of handbags. This was the first time I felt I had a real input into the decision making on the product. I helped prepare the design briefs and saw as the samples started to come in. There are now some on the website, and they are looking fab! I think I am going to have to treat myself for the Christmas

party season! Here are my favourites below...

It's the end of an era...

Since finishing Uni, I have been working on the Customer Services department at Moda in Pelle... this was just a temporary role because my heart is in Buying, but unfortunately they don't have a suitable full time role available for me. So I began applying like mad for graduate and entry level Buying jobs. I applied for the trainee scheme at Next last year and they got in touch at the perfect time! The assessment centre was in July, and a week later I was offered a job! They confirmed my start date (the 26th September) 4 weeks ago and since then my life has been extremely hectic! I now have a house in Leicester and a pile of boxes ready to move!

With new starts, comes goodbyes! On Friday I had to say goodbye to everyone at Moda. Although I am very excited about my new job, I am also so sad to be leaving Moda behind. I have been there for 3 and a half years, working in various departments and with some very lovely people! On my last day, they presented me with some gorgeous gifts including a doormat for my new home and gift vouchers for Cath Kidston.

So whilst I have a million things to do before the move... I can't help but ponder over what to spend my vouchers on! I will certainly enjoy filling my new kitchen with some gorgeous goodies!

Happy!

It is three weeks now since I finished Uni and handed everything in (I was mega busy in the run-up to hand-in, and have been busy enjoying my freedom which is why I've not blogged in forever!)

It literally feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders! And more importantly I'm feeling happy, and free, and enjoying myself!

So for the past few weeks I have been working my usual Thursdays Fridays at Moda in Pelle. I have been working on a slightly different project which I am enjoying a LOT! I'm hoping that I will be able to start full-time in the next few weeks! Will keep you posted.

I've had some good nights out recently, and plenty more planned in the next few weeks! Mostly catching up with friends I haven't seen for a while! I've also been having a serious spring clean; I've put all my Uni books for sale on Amazon, and had a ruthless clearout of my wardrobe which is now all on ebay!

I am also super excited this week because my Mum is coming home on Sunday! She has been away in South Africa for 10 months and she is back for a 3 week holiday! It feels like Christmas but better... so giddy! To make it even more exciting, we are going away to Marrakesh for a weeks holiday whilst she is home! We are staying in a luxury spa hotel, about 20mins from the centre of Marrakesh. So we're going to have the perfect combination of a chill-out girly holiday, with some culture, shopping and good food! I am planning on taking plenty of photos and will blog about it once I get back!

So that's it really... just a quick update on what I've been upto and why I've neglected my blog!

xxx