Blogmas - Day 2 to 6

Well, I can only apologise for how rubbish I am at blogging every day, or at all! Seriously how do people do this?? Especially when they work full time!

I just joined my local Gym and had my induction, and then just had tea so I have only just sat down and it's 8pm. Jeeez.

I thought i'd take you through the products i got out of my advent calendar over the past few days:

Day 2: Rodial - Super acids, x-treme acid rush peel. 20ml
The ultimate peel with 100% active azelaic acid, plus glycolic, lactic and fruit acids and probiotic technology.

I tried this the night i got it. I thought the consistency would be thicker, as i think i originally thought it was like one of those face mask you can buy where the product dries on your face and you peel it off after 10 minutes. Hahaha. Nope, it isn't like that. Well tha isnt how i decided to use it. I wanted it to last a while as its only 20ml, so i washed my face and patted it dry, then applied a little product and massaged it in. I left it on for 15 mins as directed and then simply washed it off. It did seem a little slimy when washing it off but afterwards my skin did feel incredibly smooth.

It didn't feel like what i imagined a 'peel' to be. Which i'm not sure how i feel about. Think i kinda wanted a peel of mask. Ooopsy.

Doubt i would purchase the full size....Woah i just checked and its £75!! Not sure how much ml that is for but my god, I will definitely enjoy this while it lasts.


Day 3: Filorga - Time Filler. 15ml
Absolute wrinkle correction cream.

I think it's hard to review a wrinkle cream as soon as you get it because obviously the proof only comes months down the line. But either way I quite like this one, mostly due to the smell but also it just melts into the skin.

• Botox-like tripeptide limits muscular contractions and relaxes the skin for a younger-looking face
• Hyaluronic acid for deeper diffusion and a visible filler effect
• After just 3 days, the appearance of frown lines is reduced by 19%*
• *Average instrumental measurement by 3D imaging - 40 women over 28 days use, day and night

Those are the claims, and i like the sound of them. I'm going to start putting it on my forehead as well as a little on my eyes. My eyes don't really have wrinkles though, only when i'm laughing :)

It retails at £54 for 50ml! So another expensive product but hey it's good to try these kind of products that otherwise I probably would never have done. This is why I like these calendars, and why i used to subscribe to Beauty Boxes.


Day 4: Pixi by Petra - Brow Tamer. 4.5ml
This holds even the most unruly brows in place. Long wearing gel sets & defines brows for all day wear. Soothing formula with aloe vera and panthenol gives a natural look. Paraben & fragrance free. Not tested on animals.

I tend to be one of these girls that buys a clear mascara and uses it to set my brows. Okay sometimes it goes a bit flaky, but that depends on the brand! So i was quite happy when i saw this.

I have tried it for the last two days, day one i wasn't quite a believer. Not because my brows were all over the place but because by the end of the day i could'nt feel the product in my brow at all. So i assumed it had just flaked off. Today however i can feel it slightly and over both days my brows stayed in place! Which doesn't tend to happen when i leave them natural. they tend to get a bit unruly.

So yes, this is a definite repurchase i think, lets check the price...
It's £12 on M&S for this amount, this is full size. I just saw some on Ebay for around £5.
It's something to consider, although if i see a cheap clear mascara i may be tempted to go back.

Day 5: Josh Wood - Radiant Shine Hair Treatment Oil. 30ml
Specially developed to help care for your coloured hair, this multi-purpose light weight oil also enhances hair's natural shine. Formulated with a bespoke blend of oils, it can be used as a restorative pre-shampoo treatment, as a pre-styling moisture boost and as a finishing product to create a polished glossy look.

THIS SMELLS GORGEOUS. I literally would bathe in this if i could.

I haven't used it just yet, I just opened the bottle (which is glass btw!) and decided to have a sniff, it smells delish. I'm not very good at describing smells. It makes me want to wash my hair right now. When i use this first time I will use it as a pre-shampoo treatment. But i think I might put some on my dry ends on Saturday when i go out.

It's only £12.50 for 48ml so if this is as gorgeous as i expect then i will definitely be purchasing a full size of this.

Day 6: Eyeko - Skinny Liquid Eyeliner - black. 1.2g
Precise - smudge-proof - pitch black.

I have been using the Rimmel Scandaleyes Jumbo liquid eyeliner for ages, i really don't know why i always go back to it as it does tend to transfer/smudge on the top of my eyelid. I was very happy to open my calendar to find this today! It's now 8:30pm (ish) and it hasn't transferred or smudged all day so it's definitly a winner in my eyes. I will for sure re-purchase this as i found it really easy to apply too.

This is £12 for 2g. I'm okay with that.

I doubt i will have time to blog tomorrow as i am going to the gym again and then yoga after, so i will do another update in a few days time. Peace out!

Blogmas - Day 1

DAY 1

Okay, so i am a few days late but i was re-designing my blog because i really wanted to do this well. I am doing BLOGMAS! Wooooo.

I aim to upload every day. Yes you read that right, every day. Lets just get straight to it...

This year i decided to splurge and get a beauty/skincare advent calendar. I had watched a review by Fleur DeForce of all the available calendars on the market, and decided the Marks and Spencers one would be the best for me. It looked best value for money and the products looked right up my street. It was £35, and you had to spend £35 to get it for that price. Essentially spending £70 in store! So i thought i would get some christmas presents (hoping this would keep my guilt at bay) and I found a bag for my mum plus some gloves (for me, that were iphone friendly!!) and thankfully these added up to £35. Quite happily i made my purchases and practically skipped out of the shop so proud of myself.

However, i did find a better bag in Debenhams that i really wanted to buy for my mum instead so i decided to return my M&S one. Which actually made me think why didn't i think of this first?? If you don't actally want anything apaprt from the calendar thats fine! Just buy anything that adds up to £35 then return it the same day or day after or whatever... Spend it, then return it, all the while keeping your advent calendar. Crafty huh?!

For Day 1 I got a BEE LOVELY to your hands HAND CREAM by Neal's Yard Remedies.

This is normally £10 on it's own! So this really shows the value of this advent calendar.

"Softens hands and helps Save The Bees" 

Moisturising Organic Honey is blended with energising Orange Essential Oil to nourish the skin and lift the spirits.

Non GM, No Parabens, No Synthetic Fragrances or Colours, No Mineral Oils, No Silicones. Made in England.

...and smells out of this world delicious!!!!!

Honestly it smells gorgeous. It sinks into your hands and doesn't leave them feeling clammy (unless you put too much on when you get over excited) It's a perfect size for your handbag and of course you're saving the bees of England! Which personally makes me very happy. Oh and did i mention the smell? Its the smell of a just peeled tangerine, not sharp, but juicy and Orangy. Okay, so i'm not very good at describing things like this, but trust me.

I would almost definitely say i would purchase for £10, but don't hold me to it. 

£10 for hand cream is a bit steep in my eyes. But when this runs out i think i will miss it a lot. 

ICSI IVF - First round of ICSI and no eggs fertilised!!

I got the call to say that none of our eggs fertilised and it was the most heartbreaking thing i've ever experienced. I literally can't explain the disappointment. The worst thing was, the embryologist was baffled as to why it hadn't worked! She said the sperm and eggs were both good quality..In fact, my eggs had survived the ordeal! They had activated with the presence of the sperm, they just hadn't got to the fertilisation stage. So so sad.

I know you shouldn't expect it to work first time but you just do. It's one of them things, they tell you to stay positive and think positive (because non positive thoughts can affect the process apparently!) but then you build it up in your head and when it goes wrong its the worst feeling, its crushing. You both feel like total failures. We spent most of Friday crying and being generally miserable.

I'd like to say i will be more cautious with my feelings and expectations next time, but because our scenario is so-called 'rare' i am optimistic it will work next time. IT HAS TOO!

I refuse to believe i won't be a mum one day. I really want to experience pregnancy.
There are so many people on facebook and instagram posting Halloween pictures of their babies and its so frustrating. Obviously they are free to do that and when i have a child i will do the same, but it still doesn't make it any easier.

I thought i'd share my timeline and meds:

Day 1: Period arrived, I started Bureselin 0.5mg injections for 3 weeks to shut down my system.
Day 21: Had a scan to check my womb lining was ready, and it was. I carried on taking Bureselin but also started Menopur 150mg the next day to stimulate the ovaries.
Day 8 of stims (friday): Had a scan to check the progress of my follicles. I had 7 on each side measuring around 10mm-13mm. And lots of little ones around them.
Day 11 (Mon): Had another scan and i had 24 follicles(eggs) measuring between 10mm-15mm, i had one at 19mm.
Day 13 (Wed): Had another scan and i still had 24 follicles(eggs) measuring between 10mm-21mm
I got given my trigger injection Ovitrelle 250mg, and took it at 8:15pm. Retrieval is in 36 hours!
Day 15 (Fri): Egg Collection day! 8:15am i went into theatre to be put to sleep. They retrieved 9 eggs, 6 were mature enough to inject with sperm. I went home, i was sick (i drank to soon after waking up) and felt abit swolen but generally in a good mood.
Saturday: Got the call that none of our eggs fertilised.

I am taking Fragmin, to thin my blood as they classed me as having mild OHSS, I also have a tablet to help the syndrome. I still need to take this injection till i have my period.

I have an appointment on 16th November with my Fertility Doctor to find out when we can start again and get some feedback.

Apparently because we didn't get fertilisation and a transfer it isn't classed as 'a go' therefore we still have two more goes at this. Please keep your fingers crossed for us.

Has anyone else been through this? Please comment if you have.

5 Things: August 2016

01: Countdown to ICSI IVF

Hey Guys, We are almost there!!
Seriously its about a month till we start our IVF journey and I cannot wait. Give me those injections!
Actually i am pretty nervous about having to do injections but it has to be done and it'll be worth it in the end. Bring it on!

I am around 6lbs off target. I really need to smash this in the next few weeks. The outfit to the left is from Tesco. Yup, these jeans are so nice! The top i've had for a while but barely worn it. I had some lovely compliments so it's all good.

02: Painting!

I've decided to get back into painting. I really need to order some more acrylics though as i am running low.
As you can see I only have greens and browns and blues at the moment haha.

Nudity Alert!

It's now on my landing wall. The painting above it is actually off a car boot sale and i got it for £1. What a bargain huh?!


03: Decking my garden.

Whilst it's been summer, we decided to get started on the back garden. We purchased our decking and a good friend has been installing it for us.

We need to finish off the front, and paint it, also the fences need painting. I really need the sun to come back!! We need to hire a skip to put the concrete in and then we will sort the rest of the garden out with astro turf and a path.

04: My Mum's Birthday

For my mums birthday at the beginning of August we went to the Red Doors Bistro in Wigan so here is my little review.
I knew this little bistro is here because there is a Hairdressers above it that i have been too. It's always been quiet when i have passed through the Bistro and this day wasn't different.

I got this via Groupon, it was £19 for Afternoon tea for 2 people.

We arrived around 5 or 10 mins early, and was asked to come back at exactly 12pm as that is when they open and they weren't ready for us. The was my only issue with the day really. I thought it was kinda rude to ask us to come back, we literally had to hang around on the street so they could mop and put candles out!

When we got in there and she had taken our orders (My aunt and sister also had afternoon tea but it wasn't via Groupon) My sister is a vegetarian and so she changed that sandwiches for them. It was lovely. I was a little disappointed the tea wasn't refillable.  But other than that the meal was nice. Personally wouldn't have chosen the sandwiches provided. (I'm a traditionalist) but the little cup of soup was a cute touch!

The desserts were SO SO nice :)

05: BACONNAISE  !!!

Need i say more?? This beauty was £2.50 from Morrisons!! You must buy it, it's the best on chips/burgers. I love this stuff because of Almost Famous. And if you don't know what that is then you must google it! (Psst! its a restaurant in Manchester)

My IVF Journey so far.

So i thought i'd update a little bit on where we are up to with our IVF journey.

I had an appointment in June to check on my weight loss progress and by that point i was 2lb off getting my 1and a half stone award at Slimming world. The doctor was really happy and worked out my BMI was 31. (it has to be 30 to start) But he said he would check where we are on the waiting list and if we are near the top he will start us.
It turns out we reached our 6 month wait on the 15th June!! Woop Woop, so we can now start.

It's not quick though, our next appointment is on the 25th July (bearing in mind this is 3.5 weeks after we was told we can start) So now i'm just waiting for this appointment.....I am so impatient i hate waiting!! It's a Pre-treatment appointment. I have no idea what happens but i hope we can actually start and i get my meds/injections etc.

Our doctor in the local paper:

Mumford and Sons // BST Hyde Park - 8th July 2016

One of my presents for my 30th was to go and see Mumford and Sons live. This has been on my bucket list for a few years. I remember searching for their tour dates a while back and realising i had just missed a UK tour, i was so gutted. So gutted. So when i saw that the only UK 'thing' they were doing this year was the Barclaycard British Summertime Festival in Hyde park I knew I HAD to go. Especially as it was in my birthday month! It was totally meant to be.

We stayed in an apartment on Edgeware Road, which was only 5/10 mins away from Marble Arch/ Hyde Park. Perfect location. I found it on Air BNB - HERE
The neighbours were quite noisy till like 2:30am! But other than that it was okay.

 Wine for the journey.

I took quite a few more photo's but didn't want to flood the blog with them.
I really really enjoyed myself. xx

30th Birthday wants!

My 30th Birthday is fast approaching!! July is just around the corner. One would think a big birthday bash would be happening but NO, just NO. I am not looking to go crazy at all. I actually feel old. Who wants to go clubbing anymore?! Not me.

I thought i'd share a few present ideas in the hope my family read this. Haha. Fingers Crossed!!

On my list i have jewellery, Designer Handbags, a macbook...yes i know i am asking for too much, but hey ho, you only turn 30 once!  (: May as well start with the most expensive...

Apple Macbook Pro: £999.00
Okay so mine isn't quite broken yet but it is 6 years old if not more and the memory is full and its still on 10.6.8 Snow Leopard. I still only have Photoshop CS2  from my uni days. Oh the shame. I use my mac everyday and because this is so full now i am gutted i cant properly sync my phone, the photo's will not download due to lack of space and so my phone currently has 5,000 photos i don't want to lose but i cant back them up anywhere.

Buy from: Apple

Vivienne Westwood Earrings: £75.00

I absolutely love these earrings, i feel like i just don't have enough earrings or wear earrings enough but i really love these orb ones.

Buy from: Vivienne Westwood

LOVE MOSCHINO Bag: £97.00

It's on sale!!!!!! I have been looking on this site for a while. I can't believe a bag i like is actually on sale. Woop. Tempted to buy this now....but i won't. I have seen a few i like.

Buy from: Very Exclusive

MOSCHINO Bag: £429.00

Yes, i can't help it, i have been looking at this bag for months! It'd be a great night out bag, shame its so much money!!

Buy from: TK Maxx

Harry Potter Complete Bloomsbury Set: £29.99

I've obviously got the books but i really like the cover designs of this set. I really really like these books, please someone buy them for meeeeeeee.

Buy from: thebookpeople

New Name, New Layout

I have a new name! Kiss the rain. 
It's about remembering to take the rough with the smooth, learning to embrace the rain as you know the sunshine will come eventually. I feel like this is so me right now.

TTC is so stressful!!

Putting a new template on here is also very stressful. AAaargh.

Please bear with me. xx

ICSI IVF, Slimming World,

So recently I had another appointment with the Fertility Doctor but it was only a check up so not much happened. He just wanted to check i was losing weight as I have to go from: 14st 3.5lb to 12st 12lb before i can start treatment for ICSI IVF. This will mean my BMI will be 30 which is the requirement for the IVF. At the moment I am 13st 12lb so I only have 14lb left!


Our start date should be around AUG-SEP time. I am so so excited now. It's just crazy. I really hope it works!.

To help me lose weight I asked if i could use a fat binding tablet. He said that it was fine and gave me 2 months worth for free. It's called Xenical. I really think this has helped me get motivated as i am worrying about eating anything with too much fat in because it gives you bad diahorrea if you consume too much fat. Anything over 5g of fat per 100g is not advised to be eaten.

I have been going to Slimming world which always helps. I've done slimming world on and off for quite a few years. When you stick to it it does work, so thats the plan. So far so good. I thought i would share my 'typical day' eating plan:

A Typical Day

My A choice is 250ml of Semi Skimmed Milk (but i rarely measure)

My B choice is 30g of porridge oats. 

Breakfast: 

"Overnight Oats" - This consists of 30g of porridge oats, layered with a Muller light yoghurt of your choice (my faves are Banana and Custard or Toffee)

I choose to include dried Goji Berries (superfood) - These soften overnight as they are mixed in with the yoghurt. And I almost always put strawberries on top.

Lunch:

Usually for lunch i will have last night's tea leftovers. If not, then i will usually make a salad and add a dash of Ceaser Dressing. 

Tea:

Some of my favourite meals are - (these are all done slimming world way; using fry light, making my own sauces etc)

• Spaghetti Bolognaise.
• Salmon, Sweet potato, Salad.
• Steak, potato wedges, salad or beans or peas.
• Omelette, Chilli Heinze beans.
• Chicken Tikka Masala (sw sauce)
• Slimming world frozen meals.
• Pitta Pizza (syns but better than having a normal takeaway pizza!)
• Meatballs, Pasta.
• Sausage Casserole.
• Gammon, Egg, Beans.
• Homemade Soups.
• Stir Fry without noodles.
• Salmon or Tuna Pasta bake

Theres plenty more but i just cant think!

Snacks:

I only ever drink sugar free drinks - Squash, Caffiene Free Diet Coke, Sprite Zero, Lilt Zero, Diet Pink Lemonade etc etc.

• Melon - Usually mid morning, around half 10 or 11, and this is a speed food :)
• or Fruit Mixture - Melon, Pineapple, Mango, Strawbs.

• Alpen Light Jaffa Cake - I tend to have one Alpen bar at some point in the day but i try to keep it till after lunch or mid afternoon with a brew. 

• Piece of fruit, usually an apple.

• Aero Mousse Yoghurt - 4 syns, after tea as dessert.

• Chicken / Ham - Any meat in the fridge for if i'm hungry to pick on.

This is an Extra Easy plan, I do sometimes do SP days and have my extra B choice and no yoghurts but i find those days hard so i don't do them often.

5 Things:

Don't you just love weekends!!

01: Hair
SO, If you have read my previous post about dying my hair you know that i put another dye on this weekend. I really love it and i'm really liking being Ginger. I know it will wash out a bit when i wash it tomorrow but the dye kit has a colour extender included so hopefully it wont be too bad. I'd really like to get some extensions too but because the tone and colour will change all the time, it's just not worth it. I really recommend the dyes used but i'd still advise anyone with brunette hair to lighten their hair a little first.

02: Food & Drink
This weekend has been pretty good food-wise but pretty naughty considering i am supposed to be on Slimming World. After weigh-in on saturday (i put half a pound on oooops) I had a sausage and egg roll. Pretty naughty. But then the same day i went to McDonalds! Very Naughty. Then me and Rick went out for a few drinks (Half a bottle of wine and 5 bacardi's later...!) then had half a pizza!!. NAUGHTY.

Today we had a lie in and then went to the local Carvery for 'All you can eat Breakfast' and my god was that good! Not bad for £3.99. For tea i have just made a roast beef dinner.

Diet pink lemonade :)

So basically i have not followed Slimming World all weekend. I'm a shit bag. I am back on it 100% tomorrow and I'm also getting back to the gym tomorrow after work. But oesn't it look good? So worth it.


03: House
Let's admit it, Weekends are spent frantically cleaning the house because you couldn't be arsed doing it during the week, right? Well that's how it goes with me haha. I spent this afternoon blitzing the kitchen and the bathroom. I managed to hang a few pictures up near my sink area, which I have been meaning to do forever! I always feel so calm after a good clean.

04: Shoes
I recently bought some shoes from New Look and they are so comfy and perfect for those days you want be casual but maybe not so casual that your wearing converse.
They are quite low heel and were on offer :) Win Win.

 They really reminded me of these Steve Madden Boots....
These below are also from New Look:

I also cheekily got some jelly shoes for summer...
It's happened, i've gone back to the 90's hahaha.

I actually bought some last June to use in Greece, but i left them there thinking i'd never wear them in the UK but I actually think i would.

These were only £8 off ebay.


05: Motivation
I really need to get my act together now and get motivated to lose weight. I have lost 10lb so far and want to have got my stone award by the 19th April for my appointment.
I have pretty much planned my meals for the week in my head so im sure i will be fine, but it's nearly witch week so i'm craving chocolate at the moment...
Wish me luck!!

Hope you have all had a great weekend!