Bloggers Bash

14th Jun 201914th Jun 2019 | Suzi Stamp

Today’s blog post is being written on a coach as I make my way from my home to London for the weekend!

I’m pretty excited about this trip as, not only am I getting to spend some time with my brother, his wife and my niece and nephew, I’m also going to be attending the Bloggers Bash!

I was up super early this morning, 4:30am and getting ready for my trip, made myself a flask for coffee for the journey and headed to the bus stop, (with thanks to my lovely friend for the lift down), to await the bus that would pick me up at 6:05am.

Luckily the bus was on time, and so far the journey has gone without a glitch. It’s been raining pretty much non stop since last night and showers are forecast for the day and for tomorrow which is a bit disappointing as it’s June and we should be having hot, sunny weather by now. Personally though, I don’t mind travelling when the temperatures are a bit cooler as it can get a bit unpleasant if it’s too hot!

What are your plans for the weekend? Are you going to the Bloggers Bash? Let me know in the comments!!!

Top 10 Good Blogger Habits

13th Jun 20198th Jun 2019 | Suzi Stamp

Top 10 Good Blogger Habits

As a blogger, there are so many habits that you should form in order to improve your blogging experience, your reader’s experience and to make blog life a whole lot more interesting. Today’s Top 10 focuses on my all time Good Blogger Habits.

Be consistent. Whether you post once a month, once a week, or every day, make sure that you post consistently. Your readers are more likely to return if they know when to expect a blog post from you.
Spelling, punctuation and grammar check. Bad spelling, grammar and punctuation can stop so many people from reading a post, and with so many different tools available to assist with checking that it is worth running checks before posting. I am currently using Grammarly which has been really easy to install and use.
Images. I love looking at images contained in blog posts and there are so many do’s and don’ts when it comes to adding an image that it can sometimes be hard to work out what image is best. My basic rule is that the image should be clear, well lit and not contain too much clutter and that it should be relevant to the post. Do not add images that are not relevant just because you think a post needs it. I would much rather read a post with no images than one that is peppered with irrelevant pictures.
Connect. Find other bloggers who write about things that you are interested in or that write in your niche, join in with conversations in the comments and take part in some things that other bloggers run.
Be true to yourself. Write about what you are interested in. Your hobbies, interests, ambitions, skills, what you live for. People are much more interested in a post that is written with a passion behind it than a post that you have forced yourself to write that covers something that you have no interest in.
Share what you are comfortable with. If you are not comfortable sharing certain topics with friends and family then don’t share them online. Only ever write what you are comfortable with everyone and anyone knowing.
Schedule. When you have an idea and the urge to write, sit and utilise that. I often batch write 3 or 4 posts at a time and make use of the schedule button as I never know when I may not feel like writing. There really is no shame in scheduling posts in advance. (Here’s a secret… I wrote this on saturday08/06/19!)
Categories and Tags. Make use of categories and tags. My one rule is that each post should have one category and up to 10 tags, no more. I have categories for each type of post that I have and then use the tags to add more info about the post.
Check your appearance. Not so much your own appearance, but your blog’s appearance. Check how it displays on tablets, mobile phones and computer screens. So many people use an array of devices these days to read blogs so it is worth making sure that everything on your blog displays perfectly across all devices.
Have fun. Fun is a huge factor in blogging. It is what keeps me coming back time and again to write and create posts and content. Remember that it is your blog and you can do with it what you want. And when the fun starts to wain think of ways you can bring the fun back! (Ask questions of your audience, read other blogs in your niche to see what they are writing about, use a search engine…there are lots of ideas out there if you start to look!)

I Heart Revolution Review

12th Jun 20198th Jun 2019 | Suzi Stamp

Eyeshadow Review

About a month or so ago I was perusing my local Superdrug aisles looking for some inspiration for a new makeup look. I had decided that, as summer was coming I wanted to freshen up my makeup, the easiest way being through eyeshadow. My eye was drawn to the I Heart Revolution display – it is a very eye-catching display that is chock full of fun looking makeup in so many different colours! I spent an age looking at all the different things that they have available (and have added a ton to my wishlist!!!) and finally decided to purchase the Unicorn Eyeshadow Kit.

Take your eye game to the next level. Starring nine dreamy shades from soft lilac to sparkling silver in matte and shimmer finishes, this magical palette is perfect for getting your beauty look down from day to night.

There are 9 shadows in a white plastic pallet which has a clear, hinged lid. The shadows are a mix of matte and shimmer finishes, 4 that is shimmer and 4 that are matte and one that looks a bit shimmery but applies more of a matte (the dark purple in the bottom right corner).

I love the packaging, it is nice to have a pallet that uses white as the casing rather than black, the clear lid is printed with metallic (almost mirror finish) pink wording and little stars.

The theme of “Unicorns” is apparent in the shadow which features raised unicorn heads on the shadow. It all looks very cute.

The shadow doesn’t come with any names but here is a brief description from my own perspective…

Top Row (L to R)

Matte lavender
Pearlescent white
Matte bright pink

Middle Row (L to R)

Metallic bright silver
Matte pale baby pink
Metallic pale yellow

Bottom Row (L to R)

Mattte mid-tone pinkish purple
Metallic pale blue toned purple
And lastly, the undecided matte/metallic deep purple

I swatched the shadows, using one swipe of each colour (the order is the same as given above) and you can see that the colours are fairly bright and apply evenly. I did struggle to capture the matte pale baby pink and the metallic pale yellow which is a shame as in person they appear much brighter!

The application, as I said above, is fairly even and all apply with the same consistency. I have found that they have not creased at all during a days wear (average of 8 hours), they blend easily and remove really well. In the past, I have had issues with bright pink shadow pigment staining my skin but I am pleased to say that there are no staining issues from these!!!

I have surprised myself with how much I have been reaching for this pallet and that I have used all of the colours, normally with ant pallet I have a tendency to use the same 2 or 3 shades and ignore the rest!

I have used this shadow pallet for work, home and going out looks and some of my favourite looks are to use the matte pale baby pink over my whole lid and then complete the look with a swipe of eyeliner and some mascara. The bright pink teams well with a silver inner eye and the deep purple used in the socket area. I have used the metallic pale yellow all over my eye and then the matte bright pink in the outer corners of my eye with the silver on the inner corners. The metallic pale blue toned lavender tends to get paired with either the silver or pearlescent white to accent the eye.

Have you got any favourite makeup pallets that you use? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Diary, Planner and Journal Review

11th Jun 201928th Mar 2023 | Suzi Stamp

We are now half way through the year now and I have changed so much about how I organise and plan my time in general, my blog things and other aspects of my life that I thought I would do another re-cap on my diaries, planners and journals that I am currently using.

I started out the year with 6 different planners and diaries that I was using ( you can read all the posts here or click the tag in the word cloud on the right of the screen).

At the start of the Year 2019

As of March 2019

Along the way I have been working out what works for me and what doesn’t. While I loved the idea of the spiral bound home planner (similar here from Hobbycraft) I found that it was not really working for me as it was just too big to carry around with me. I realised that, as I was back in work and spent a fair deal of time away from home, that having a planner that I could only add to when I was indoors was not the best option for me. I found that I was thinking of household things that I needed to do and writing them on post-it notes and sticking them into my Filofax and never getting around to adding them to my home planner. I do have a few ideas of things I can do with this planner though so that it doesn’t just go to waste…I’ve been thinking of making it into a kind of scrapbook of memories for the year.

I am also not really using my “the Bright Side” diary either. I started using this diary as my blog diary, so I could keep track of my posts and blog schedule and it worked for a time. I have found though, that while I loved the size of it as the time, it’s now a bit too small for my needs. I still love the format though and would consider buying another one next year for general dates and birthdays and reminders instead of for blog management!

Anyway, enough about what I am not using… let’s take a look at what I am moving forward with…

My Filofax Malden in personal size is something that has stuck with me and I don’t envisage that going anywhere soon! I like that you can add pages and take them away, have sections for notes, add dividers and all manner of other things. It is such a flexible system that can work in so many ways! It comes everywhere with me and I use it to record appointments, make notes, write in my household chores, everything that is important goes into this.

I have also switched to a bullet journal for all my blog things. (You can read about my set up here). I used to use a bullet journal a few years ago (I had a dedicated Instagram page for it) but it all got a bit too overwhelming for me as I was pushing myself to be creative on all the pages and make them all arty and pretty. I did love the flexibility that it allowed me, adding different trackers, space for notes and planning and lots of other things too, and this flexibility is perfect for what I wanted in a blog planner.

I am still using my Happiness Project Journal and writing down a line a day and my Gemma Corell blog ideas book.

What planners, journals and diaries are you using this year? I’d love to know so leave me a comment!

Weekly Roundup 02/06/19 – 08/06/19

9th Jun 20199th Jun 2019 | Suzi Stamp

Weekly Roundup 12_05_19 - 18_05_19

Sunday 02/06/19

It rained much of the morning and didn’t really cease until gone 2pm. I used that time to sort through some blog things that had been bugging me and working on some post ideas. In the afternoon, once the rains had stopped, I decided to do some work in the garden. I dug up a strip of grass that was against the wall at the bottom of my garden, turned the soil and sowed some wildflower seeds. I also decided on a location for my lavender plant and managed to get that planted out too.

Monday 03/06/19

Back to work today…it feels like the weekend went far too quickly! Still, the next weekend will be here before we know it! I was awake super early this morning and headed to work for 8am. My day in work went ok, we are nearing the end of the payment month so have work that needs to be compelted before the deadline though I managed to clear my desk and leave at 3pm! I came home and pottered about for a bit before my friend came over. We went to Morrisons for some food, came home and cooked and then watched Always Be My Maybe on Netflix.

Tuesday 04/06/19

Work was ok, the day sort of came and went. I came home and sat reading some blogs while having a coffee then decided to make some food (Jacket potato!) and watch Dumplin’ on Netflix. I had a pretty chilled evening and had an early night too.

Wednesday 05/06/19

I woke up tired and felt like I hadn’t been asleep for very long and that I could have happily slept for most of the day. Work stressed me out today, it was too noisy in the office and we still had lots to do to finish the payment cycle. This stress affected me all day and I was a bit grumpy by the time I got home. When I got home from work Roxy and I went and lay on the bed and I had a little sleep for an hour or so. I woke up still feeling grumpy, came down and had a coffee. My friend turned up and we went up to the shop and got icecream and cake to cheer me up. I did start feeling better after that. We then watched Black Mirror before my friend had to go home. I then sat and watched an episode of Good Girls before heading to bed.

Thursday 06/06/19

I woke early and had a shower as I really didnt have the energy to shower before bed last night and got ready for work, headed in with the sun shining and in a much better mood than yesterday. We have now finished the work for payment and there wasn’t much to do, just tying up loose ends and getting around to things that had been put to the wayside like filing and sorting paperwork. An email was sent around asking if any of the staff would like to become a workplace mediator – to help resolve conflicts in the workplace without escalating to a higher level, I really like the idea of this so I filled in the application and sent that off. The role would run alongside my main job and be an A’s needed voluntary position. The day went fairly quickly and at 4:15pm I left work with my friend and walked over to my car. I had to pick my meds up from the pharmacy on the way home and was plesantly surprised that they had got my full prescription ready and correct! I spent the evening working on my bullet journal and watching Good Girls.

Friday 07/06/19

Work came and went today, the whole day seemed to pass by really slowly and I was glad to see 5pm roll around! It was a grey, dull day with lots of heavy rain, we even had a few thunder storms. After work I headed home, my friend came over and we chatted, watched the new episode of Black Mirror, An episode of Good Girls and The Society on Netflix. It was a really lovely evening after what hadn’t really been the best of days.

Saturday 08/06/19

This morning I woke around 9am, Roxy wasn’t in bed with me which isn’t unusual, sometimes she likes to take herself off to the spare room or downstairs to have a snooze on the sofa. I lay and read some blog posts for 20mins before Roxy realised I was awake and came padding in for cuddles. We got up around 10am and went downstairs to have breakfast and coffee. I decided to work on some up-coming blog posts and schedule them in before I go away next weekend. Mum called me to ask if I fancied going down for tea so I showered and got ready to be there for 5pm. It was nice to spend some time with my Mum and Dad. After food, I headed home around 9pm and finished working on a post then watched an episode of Good Girls before bed.

Mystery Blogger Award

9th Jun 201928th Mar 2023 | Suzi Stamp

Mystery Blogger Award.png

What is the Mystery Blogger Award?

“Mystery Blogger Award” is an award for amazing bloggers with ingenious posts. Their blog not only captivates; it inspires and motivates. They are one of the best out there, and they deserve every recognition they get. This award is also for bloggers who find fun and inspiration in blogging, and they do it with so much love and passion.
– Okoto Enigma

The Rules of the Mystery Blogger Award

Put the award logo/image on your blog
List the rules
Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog
Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well
Tell your readers 3 things about yourself
Nominate your favourite bloggers (*I changed this from 10 – 20 people…)
Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog
Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice; with one weird or funny question (specify)
Share a link to your best post(s)

My Award

I was gifted this award by Mel who blogs over at Decor Craft Designs. Mel’s blog is chock a block full of crafty ideas and inspiration for fun projects, if you haven’t visited her blog then head over and take a look!

I love these awards as they give me an opportunity to share snippets about myself with you guys and also to ask some questions of my own! I am really touched that Mel has gifted me the Mystery Bloggers award and that she thinks my posts are ingenious, my blog captivates, inspires and motivates! Thank you so much, Mel, for the Award!

Three Things About Myself

I’ve recently gotten into gardening and have loads of ideas and plans for my garden! I’m excited to see how they all come together!
I used to love a night out on the town, coming home in the early hours and not going to bed until the morning but now that is my worst idea of fun!
I’m forever thinking of things to do and my list seems to be getting longer and longer! I am blaming Pinterest for this as I get inspired by so many things on there.

Mels questions

Do you have a kid’s toy you still love to play?

I have a lot of my old toys from when I was a kid but I don’t play with them anymore, they serve more as being ornaments now than toys. I do still have my watercolour paint set from when Iw as a kid and still play around with that though!

What is your best character?

My best character would have to be Eeyore, even though he is pretty sad much of the time he always is included in what his friends are doing.

Which city/country you can’t wait to re-visit?

London! My brother and his wife along with their children live there and whenever I visit they take me out to visit lots of different places! London is such a fab city and there is so much to do and so much history there!

What part of your home that you’ve been dying to renovate?

At present, my garden, though I am working on that! The other place I’m dying to renovate is my spare room though I am still undecided on what colour to paint it or what to do with it.

What junk food do you love so much?

Crisps and ice cream, though not both together!

My Questions

What is your favourite colour and why?
What one thing do you wish you had known before you started your blog?
What is your favourite time of the day?
If you could do anything for a day, what would it be?
What is your most favourite uncool clothing item?

My Favourite Blog Posts

My nominees

Thank you again, Mel, for nominating me a Mystery Blogger Award! Hope you like my answers and my best posts!

For those who are nominated, I hope you read your nomination and accept it, congratulations!

Saturday Shout Out – Lylia Rose

8th Jun 20192nd Jun 2019 | Suzi Stamp

Lylia Rose is a blog run by Victoria and is a new to me blogger who responded to my Saturday Shout Out ad.

Victoria currently has three blogs!

Lylia Rose a blog about money and lifestyle.

Healthy Vix which is about health and wellbeing.

Travel Vixta which focuses on travel, days out, campervan holidays and adventures.

Victoria has been blogging at Lylia Rose since April 2013, so just over six years and has since set up two more blogs so she can be more niche focussed on each one.

I set up Healthy Vix in January 2018, so it’s almost a year and a half old.

My newest blog is Travel Vixta which I only started in November 2018 so it’s my baby at six months old!

Lylia Rose is a lifestyle blog with a money angle. I used to post about a lot of different topics on Lylia Rose, but since 2018 I have decided to focus on money related posts. It still covers a variety of topics such as being self-employed, blogging for money, how to make money from home, side hustles, saving money and running a home based business.

I am very passionate about healthy living and I regularly go to the gym, eat a plant-based diet only and love natural beauty. I set up my second blog Healthy Vix to focus on all things healthy from a vegan diet to natural, eco-friendly living tips.

My final blog is Travel Vixta. I did originally post all my travel content and reviews on Lylia Rose, but I decided it would be better to have it all in one place so my third blog covers all our family travel, days out and campervan adventures, as well as travel tips and advice.

Here are some of Victoria’s favourite posts that she has written

Is it really possible to make money blogging?
6 secrets to make more money from your blog
5 tried and tested ways to make money as a UK stay at home mum
Plastic is not fantastic – the dirty secret of where our recycling really goes
Snowdonia National Park with kids – 3 day travel diary & photos
A fun fact from Victoria about her blogs is

Me and my blogs are that they are my job! I am a full-time blogger and manage to make an income from blogging every month. I was able to turn my hobby into a business which always amazes me.

You can find Victoria sharing her latest posts on Twitter and Pinterest, as well as have a sneak peek into her life and interests on Instagram.

What Are Soapnuts?!

7th Jun 201929th May 2019 | Suzi Stamp

What Are(1)

I have been using Soapnuts for a while now and today I want to share with you just what they are!

I discovered soapnuts a few years back when I was looking for ways to be more eco-friendly, reduce the amount of plastic that I use and minimise the number of chemicals in my day to day life.

Soapnuts are not really nuts at all, they are berries that come from a species of shrub that is part of the Lychee family. The shrub is called Sapindus and grows in several different places, namely Asia, both Northern and Southern. The berries have high saponins which work as a detergent and have been used for many years in Asian countries.

Soapnuts can be used to clean a multitude of things, from surfaces, dishes, body and hair.

How I use Soapnuts.

I have been using soapnuts mainly to do my laundry and have replaced shop bought laundry detergent with soapnuts for pretty much all the washing that I now do. I bought my soapnuts from here. They came in a cloth bag, and the big draw for me was that there was 280 washes worth, they are compostable and are natural, no chemicals or other nasties that can work their way into our waterways. They are really easy to use, just pop a few into a muslin bag and tie shut, place in with your laundry and set your machine for the regular cycle you would normally use. Once the washing is done, dry in the normal way.

The nuts have no scent so I like to add a few drops of essential oil to the nuts before adding to the wash or I use a liquid, ecological conditioner (such as this Ecover one), though not having my clothes smell of anything does not bother me too much. The soapnuts don’t leave your clothes smelling weird, they just don’t have any scent at all. You can use the soapnuts two or three times before replacing.

Once the soapnuts have been used for laundry I like to collect them up, and when I have about 25 to 30 shells I place them into hot water and boil for 10 minutes. I then use the water to rinse my hair or add to a bucket to mop over the floor. The liquid can also be used to wash the dishes in or can be kept in a spray bottle and used for cleaning worktops.

The soapnuts don’t foam, which at first was really weird for me to get my head around after many years of being used to having soap suds being created when doing any type of cleaning. It is hard to get your head around the idea that something that doesn’t foam can actually be effectively cleaning things.

I have found that soapnuts clean my laundry really well and lift out dirt and stains as well as regular, shop bought detergents, they don’t fade or discolour fabrics and seem to deal pretty well with things like deodorant build up too.

Have you tried soapnuts? What are your thoughts about them? Do you have any other uses for them? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!