The Business Woman

Welllllll I said I was going to post this about 3 weeks ago but I forgot, but better late then never I suppose! This one is for all those office girls out there! I actually think that the office can be a bit competitive when it comes to fashion, and with around 300 people in my office alone, it can be quite important to keep up appearances! (Although saying this, I don't wear make-up or do my hair for work!) But, I do try my hardest to try and look sharp! I have put together this little blog to try and inspire some of your wardrobes, I know how easy it can be to get in a routine of wearing the same clothes each week!

I have alot of blacks/greys in my work-wear, because to be honest I don't really think you can go wrong, and you don't want to be that clown that turns up in something hideously illuminous. I get most of my work-wear from Next, Miss Selfridges and Primark believe it or not. Always make sure you have a pair of black court shoes in your wardrobe too, these will pretty much go with anything, it can even make the frumpiest outfits look quite smart!

Look 1: This black wrap dress is from Miss Selfridge at around £30, I feel quite sophisticated in it and it looks fine with a pair of black tights for those colder days! 

Look 2: A good pair of cigarette pants are key, I have these in plain grey & black too.. I think these patterned ones for £10 from Primark liven the outfit up a bit

Look 3: My beloved pinstriped skirt. I think pinstripe can be quite dated but this wrap skirt from Miss Selfridge gives it a modern twist

Look 4: Comfort, warmth and a masculine edge. I teamed this cosy polo from New Look with some high waisted pants from Topshop and finished the outfit off with some brogues

Being stylish doesn't have to cost a fortune, check out Primark & ASOS for some bargains.. You only really need a few statement pieces and then you'd be surprised how different an outfit can look by simply changing your top or shoes..

Aloe Vera Drinking Gel

So I think it is pretty clear that I LOVE the Forever Living range and I have been lucky enough to try one of their drinking gel products..

The imparticular product was Cranberry & Apple flavour so not only do you get the benefits of the Aloe Vera, but the goodness of the Cranberry and Apple too. Besides their reputation as a cleanser for the urinary tract, cranberries provide a high content of vitamin C. They are also a natural source of healthful proanthocyanidins. Apple juice contains many flavonoids as well as pectin.

To be brutally honest, it does look a bit log frogspawn and the after-taste takes your breath away at first.. But after a couple of days, I actually started to enjoy it. For the first week, I took half a shot of the gel first thing in the morning, then the final 3 weeks I took a full shot. There are many benefits to these drinking gels but the main difference I found was that I felt more energetic pretty much throughout the entire day. I know on a Monday, the majority of us feel like the world is going to end, but this clever little shot dramatically changed my mood and my manager was pretty happy about that too!

Besides their reputation as a cleanser for the urinary tract, cranberries provide a high content of vitamin C. They are also a natural source of healthful proanthocyanidins. Apple juice contains many flavonoids aswell as pectin.

You can drink Forever Aloe Berry Nectar with meals or alone. I chose to have my shot and then a green tea, after about an hour I would tuck into breakfast, which is usually just a banana (how exciting). The delicious flavor is totally natural, prepared from a blend of fresh cranberries and sweet, mellow apples. Added fructose (a natural fruit sugar) sweetens it just enough to please both adults and children alike.

To find out more or to purchase this miracle juice, then contact myself or Nicola Hamilton!

Detox Face Mask

Heavy weekend taking its toll on your skin? Always getting people at work on a Monday asking if you're ill? (Like me!) Take these simple steps to restore and rejuvenate before kicking off your week all over again...

Step 1: Purchase Sanctuary Spa 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask. You've probably seen the hype around Charcoal treatments around at the moment.. Well this is 1 of them, but it heats up when applied and is actually affordable at around £10 a bottle. You can get it from most beauty shops such as Boots & Debenhams.

Step 2: Cleanse your face. Basically, wipe off all your make-up. For even better results then try exfoliating before applying the mask.

Step 3: Whilst your face is still damp, apply a thin layer of the mask covering your face and neck.. You'll feel it warming up on your skin, and leave it on for 5 minutes.

Step 4: Wash it off and bask in the glorious results!

What I love about this face mask is that it doesn't go all hard & prevent you from moving your face for the duration! And I can honestly say, my skin has never felt better.. Apply twice a week to see enviable results!

The luck of the Irish

A guide to Dublin(ish)

So last weekend I went for a 1 night stay in Dublin for my friend Ailsa’s hen doo!! Thought I would do a little blog about some of the places we went to and around how much it cost!! (Btw, I will be writing everything in £ because I don’t have a euros sign on my computer!)

So, there was 17 of us and we were flying from Liverpool at 6.30am, which meant a 2am get up (not cool!) As you can imagine, we were all feeling very lethargic by the time we got to the airport but that didn’t stop me having a prosecco with my toast! Our flights cost £45.99 return per person! Which is basically cheaper than going to London on the train. The flight was meant to be an hour long but because we had a good wind behind us it only took 25 minutes, which I was actually rather gutted about because I was hoping to get a little bit of sleep!

We pre-booked our taxi to pick us up from the airport to drop us at the hotel, and it was picking us back up on the Sunday for our return journey too. This was £10 per person return and they were bang on time each way, so would strongly advise doing this if there is a big group of you going. Alternatively, check out the bus routes because some of the shuttle services that cost around £4 return drop you near your hotel.

We stayed at The Maldron Hotel on Parnell Square (be careful if you are going to book this, there is more than 1 in Dublin). It was really nice, it cost around £60pp a night and this included breakfast. Also, it is only about a 10 minute walk from pretty much anywhere, and more importantly, Temple Bar. We arrived at the hotel around 7.30am but couldn’t check in til 2 so decided to venture out for some breakfast and a mooch about to kill some time. We ended up in a pub called Slatterys which did an amazing breakfast, all though somewhat peculiar. I ordered a breakfast sandwich but it came with a side salad and crisps.. No idea why. This was around £8 and included a cuppa, really cosy pub and really well priced considering where you are.

Just down the road and over the main river was the city centre. We headed up to Grafton Street which is where all the shops are, the Bride-to-be needed some new heels so we went on a mission to find some, then once we had finished we headed to a pub to meet the gang! Even if you don’t fancy shopping, Grafton Street is good because it’s full of buskers and “good vibes”. We settled in a pub called O’Neils (how ironic) which did a really good pint of Guinness for £5.. Of course it is imperative that you try one whilst your there!

After a well-deserved nap, it was time to hit the town. We ventured out for tea at 5pm at a place called Parnell’s Bar & Grill. It was 3 floors with a roof top terrace aswell, for you posh folk out there! The meals were reasonably priced, I had a Carbonara for £12.95 and then with a glass of wine it came to under £20. From here, the mother of the bride had organised a party bus, which actually turned out to be one of my favourite parts of the trip and it was £20pp! You could take your own alcohol on, then it basically drove you around for an hour whilst playing cheesy pop music. It dropped us at a comedy store round the corner from Temple Bar which was £10pp. Do not go there. It was awful. To say it was the size of a shoe box would be the biggest understatement of the year. Only half of the girls could get sat down and the comedians barely made me crack a smile. I ended up sat in a dark corner next to a broom stick by the bar, just passing empty glasses over in return for full ones.

Due to the shocking performances in here, we decided to leave at the interval and headed up to the famous Temple Bar. It’s safe to say that I don’t actually remember much but I DO remember going into St John Goggartys! This was a 3 floor pub with live music on each one. Head to the 2^nd floor, that seemed to be the quietest of the two and a glass of wine was £7. You have to be prepared to spend a lot when you go to Temple Bar, I think I spent around £100 this night, but I think I had a bloody good night. There’s so much going on, lots of street performers, loads of pubs and a few clubs! A lot of the places shut at around 2ish but about a 5 minute walk from temple bar are some more clubs such as Copper Face Jacks that are open til around 6am.

Woke up severely hungover on the Sunday, checked out but had til 8pm to kill before we were being picked up for the airport. Most people went shopping but myself and the Bride decided to get back on it and headed towards the City Centre. We ended up in a pub called The Turks Head. It doesn’t look like much from the outside but inside it was massive, really cosy and had amazing décor. We got cosy in a corner then the rest of the group slowly joined us.. After about 10 beverages, we grabbed some food. I had fish & chips which was around £11 and was absolutely amazing!! I’d really recommended heading here, it’s definitely one of Dublin’s hidden gems.

Obviously there is so much more to do in Dublin such as the Guinness tour and I hear their zoo is pretty good too.. I hope this read has been useful! Until my next little trip.. Enjoy!

28 Day Challenge.. The Results!

28 Day Challenge – The Results

So, as you may or may not know, I decided to stupidly embark upon a 28 day challenge, because to be quite frank, I was getting fed up of being a wobbly sloth. A couple of years ago, I got myself in a similar state and became really unhappy, so went on some absolute mission and dropped 2 dress sizes. I’ve never put all of the weight back on, but over summer, I noticed the weight creeping back, especially around my thighs and stomach. This was duly noted by my lovely boyfriend who often likes to call me “Thunder Thighs”. Thanks Jon.

Hideous Before Picture

 I have lots of special events coming up (motivation!) so it seemed like a better time than any to get myself back into a routine and try to shift some timber. My friend Zoe told me about a 28 day trial for £28 at her gym, so I decided to sign up and see how much I could change my shape during this trial. Admittedly, it was a bit of an eye opener on my first session as I realised how unfit I had actually become, but by the end of the first week I already felt more energetic in myself. I was more focused on the cardio to begin with so 20-30 minutes on the treadmill and 10-20 minutes on the stepper. I didn't have a "day" for one specific muscle group, I tried to do a little bit on each at every session, and I have been doing light weights but lots of reps to help tone the muscles.

Day 1 VS Week 2 Picture

Not only was I getting to the gym 3-4 times a week, I also adjusted my diet. Although, I am always sure not to cut everything out that I enjoy because I think the more you restrict yourself, the more you will indulge when it does come to a “cheat day”, as the cool kids call it. A standard day would consist of banana & apple for breakfast, spinach, avocado & chicken for lunch then salmon, broccoli and potatoes for tea. Things I refuse to cut out of my diet are crisps and wine. (Sorry, not sorry) The things I have noticed most is my thighs are more toned, in the before picture they were very wide but I feel like they look a lot tighter, and I also feel that my waist is slimmer. I also managed to reach my ultimate goal of dropping from a size 10 to a size 8! I don’t want to lose any more weight, my focus will now be on toning up.

28 day complete picture

What’s next? Well, I am hoping to keep up this lifestyle for the foreseeable future. It gets easier once you’re in a routine, I may even try to cut out crisps, but definitely not wine. I have 3 holidays next year that I plan to have some form of 6 pack for (one can always dream!) I have also added Forever Aloe Berry Drinking Gel to my diet, which is a shot in the morning and when used in the right way, can aid weight loss and give a natural energy boost which is vital when you’re working out during the week. I will do another post in a month, as I have been given a 1 month supply of the Drinking Gel by Nicola, and let you know how much it has helped me!

Primark Bargains!

Today was a good day. I got up, showered etc. Then I went to Manchester to meet a few of my beautiful friends. We started off in TGI Fridays for a cocktail and a burger that actually made me look 7 months pregnant after eating it (yes, I know this isn't good for my 28 day challenge but I don't care), then after a good gossip we went on to do some serious shopping! 

We went into Primark, and I wasn't actually planning on spending anything, and normally I avoid Primark like the plague but I actually found some really cute little numbers. I ended up buying a skirt, a top, a shirt, some gym leggings and a belt.. All this cost me just £32! You could normally only get like a friggin' vest from Topshop for that amount (sorry Topshop, DW, I still love you tho).

Here is what I bought (PS well happy it was all in size 8s!)

My super cute A-line button down skirt for £10 and this dark grey polo top for £6

Team with a pair of tights for those colder days!

This striped shirt was just £9, perfect over a pair of cigarette trousers for work

Finally, these gym leggings were just £7, I love the colour detail down the sides

Get yourselves down there to find more bargains like this..

PS, no I wasn't going to take a pic of my plain black £2 belt.

Sorelle UK

Helllllooo another wonderful online clothes website!

http://www.sorelleuk.com/

This where I recently purchased this super cute halter dress (below).. I wanted to do a blog because this website has pretty much everything at really reasonable prices. My beautifully patterned dress was £28.99, most things are on this website! A personal fave that is currently featuring is the Sophia Cowl Jumpsuit. It is best for evening wear, but they also have some casual gear and last minute holiday outfits like the Leona Beach Dress. BTW, if you do check out this website, be sure to have a look at the eyelashes, my faves are number 43!

My 28 Day Challenge

Yesterday I decided to do something stupid and re-start at the gym! My friend who is an absolute machine decided to take me with a free day pass, and it made me realise 

A) How much of a fat slob I had become

B) How much I actually missed the gym

SO, this gym are offering a 28 days for £28 trial-sort-of-thingy, which I have decided to embark upon as of Friday (pay day!) and I will be recording my results along the way. I have a few occasions coming up that I would like to look slim for ie my birthday and 2 weddings, so this is the perfect motivation for my 28 day challenge.

On the 10th September, I will be posting my before and after results and hopefully, how you can achieve the same results including a workout plan. With all the will power in the world, my typical day will consist of:

Breakfast:

Banana

Apple

Blueberries

Lunch:

John West Tuna salads (1 of your 5 a day, under 250 calories and completely delicious)

Activia Yoghurt

Dinner:

Salmon/Chicken and Veg

Along side this, I plan to go to the gym 3 times a week and do a spinning class once a week. My massive downfall is weekends where I like to indulge, but I am going to try and stick to the weight watchers wine and attempt to have salads when I go out for meals!

I am currently a size 10 and weigh around 9 and a half stone.. My hope is to drop a dress size!

Wish me luck everyone!!!

The 99p hair treatment that could change your life...

If anyone else has hair like me, you will find that no matter how well you treat it, it is still always full of dead ends and can be a nightmare to tame! Years of dying my hair various (and regretful) colours and not having it cut regularly enough has pretty much left my hair in a bit of a state. It's pretty much impossible to get it straight and keep it straight, and it takes me absolutely forever to grow it! And it doesn't help that I have never been massively into hair products (my boyfriend has more than me), I didn't really want to spend a fortune attempting to get it in better condition.

I have heard of Keratin treatments where hairdressers can blow dry it in, then you have to walk around looking like the girl off The Grudge with it greasy and hanging over your face, and yes it does have amazing affects, but I wanted a quicker fix especially since I pretty much wear my hair up every single day. To my suprise, I stumbled across this miracle worker in Home Bargains of all places.. This 99p Keratin conditioner has completely restored life to my hair after just 2 washes! You apply as you would with a normal conditioner, but leave it to sink in for 3-5 minutes, obviously the longer you leave it, the better results you will get! I tend to leave my hair wet over night and then blow dry it in the morning, and already the ends of my hair feel softer and my hair feels fuller and looks less frizzy! I will 100% be stocking up on this conditioner and using it weekly! For even better affects, invest in a £1 Argan oil and apply whilst blow drying for an even softer feel!

Newy Newness

Sooooo I said I was going to do this post tomorrow, but I am sat here with hair dye on my head feeling very bored so thought I would just do it now. At the moment, I have quite a big checklist of things I want to purchase and try so I got cracking with it this weekend! Below is just a few of my new faves and where you can get them from yourself...

Firstly, are my new hippy pants and I AM IN LOVE! The material is so light weight so they just skim over your curves perfectly.. Very flattering for any shape! I bought a black crop and black sandals to wear with this. Hoping for some form of garden party/festival so I can put them to good use! These are £25 from Miss Selfridge but I have seen them all over the place in lots of different patterns

Next are these knee high sandals. You may have seen similar in my previous Shoe Porn blog and I just needed to get my hands on a pair. I have seen them on pretty much every website but this particular pair were from Amazon for £18.99 and free postage! Super comfy too. I have a cute off the shoulder black playsuit that I plan to wear them with next weekend (please be sunny)

FINALLY.. The much anticipated St Tropez gradual in shower tan gel! I have seen this all over facebook so just had to get my hands on a couple of bottles to see what all the fuss was about. They are on sale at the moment in boots for £9.50 a bottle, so get them fast because their usual retail price is around £15 (but I am sure other brands will have something similar soon!) Basically, you have a shower as normal, turn the shower off and apply the tan, wait 3 minutes and then was it off. I was a bit wary about turning my palms orange, but I just washed my hands as normal, then used the back of my hands to sweep down from my arms to complete the coverage. At first, you wont see a massive difference but after a couple of goes, you will see the tan start to deepen. It is particularly useful for when you dont have time to apply an instant tan or are a bit reluctant incase it stains that new white dress! Perfect to get that all year round tan with half the hassle of standing around in your room naked for 20 minutes waiting for your tan to sink in! Well worth the investment.

SHOE PORN

Its Monday morning and most people are probably feeling a little bit down, so here is a blog all about shoes to cheer everybody up!! I am absolutely drooling over all the gorgeous shoes I have been seeing on instagram lately so thought I wanted to share them with you all. I'm sure you all know how to dress up or down with a good pair of shoes, so I'm going to keep this blog simple with some inspo and prices for both you girls and boys!

These are both from Kurt Geiger. The mans Brogues are £120 and the woman's tan platform are £110.. Slightly pricey but you know you are getting good quality with this brand

The below shoes are both from ASOS. Think these are a bit more summery and both feature some tassels which are a big summer hit. The mans Loafer are £40 and the woman's Sandals are £35 

These pair are both from Topman/Topshop. The mans are £46 and the woman's (absolutely adore these!) are £50

Finally (sorry boys, no section for mens wear on this website), cute boots from Public Desire for £29.99.. I'd highly recommend checking all this website out, they have about 8 billion style of shoes and they are all very reasonably priced!

Forever Living

This blog is slightly later than I originally planned due to work commitments but I am now so happy to be posting my review on some more of my fave products from the Forever Living range sent to me by the wonderful Nicola Hamilton! 

Nicola got in contact with me to see if I would review some of the product range because she has seen that I have done reviews about Forever Living products before, and I could not say no because so far I have had nothing bad to say about them! These particular products are to help with that extra bit of weight loss, so if you are on a beach body mission then keep reading...

Below you'll find some info about each product and my personal review.. If you are interested in any of the below products, or any Forever Living products from my previous blogs, then please message me and I will put you in contact with Nicola! I have already put a couple of my friends in touch with Nicola and they have said how fast they received their products and how fantastic they have been e.g. Brightening toothpaste!

My Personal Review

The Therm tablet should be taken twice a day, 1 with breakfast and 1 with tea. The Garcina tablet should be taken 3 times a day, around half an hour before each meal. Since taking these in conjunction with each other, I have seen a change in the rate at which I loose weight. During the week, I try to be as healthy as possible. So a typical day for me would be banana & blue berries for breakfast, spinach, avocado and chicken for lunch and then salmon and broccoli for tea. I also try and run 5k 3-4 times a week! Adding these supplements into my diet have helped speed up weight loss and I dont find myself craving or snacking as much as I would usually want to. I regret to inform you that I forgot to take a before and after picture, but when I re-invest I will definitely provide evidence that they do work! For now you will just have to take my word for it.

Forever Therm

This a powerful, supportive formula to help boost your energy levels and kick-start metabolism, helping you on your weight-loss journey. Starting on a weight management program can be a daunting task, and the road to meeting your goals may seem arduous and lengthy. Beginning a healthy, calorie-controlled diet, and establishing a regular pattern of exercise, are two major steps that will carry you through your journey to success. These Therm tablets are designed to help accelerate your weight loss efforts so you see results faster and achieve your ultimate desired shape and weight loss goals. With a unique combination of botanical extracts and nutrients, Forever Therm can help boost your metabolism, to maximize your efforts. There are various ingredients (all natural of course) to make up these little miracle workers such as:

Green Tea extract provides the metabolic and antioxidant support of powerful polyphenol compounds known as catechins, which have been well-researched for their support of thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is the burning of fat to produce energy in the cells of the body. Forever Therm also provides natural caffeine-related alkaloids from Guarana seed extract to help support energy levels during your workouts and busy day. Studies show that Green Tea is synergistic with natural caffeine to support thermogenesis.

Green Coffee bean extract provides unique compounds called chlorogenic acids which are not found in high levels in roasted coffee beans. These active constituents are shown to help inhibit the absorption of glucose and, as such, may help to support normal blood sugar levels for those already in the normal range. Such effects can help to control cravings as well as dips in energy levels.

The perfect partners for this trio of metabolic-support botanicals are Raspberry Ketones, and a full complement of B vitamins with Vitamin C. Research indicates that Raspberry Ketones may help to support the metabolism of fat, which can be used by the body for energy production. B vitamins and Vitamin C are essential in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Since these vitamins are readily depleted during times of physical stress – such as during exercise – replenishment is important and can play a role in metabolic support.

Forever Garcina Plus

This is a revolutionary dietary supplement, containing ingredients that may aid in weight loss. The primary ingredient is a natural substance derived from the fruit of a Southern Asian tree, the Garcinia Cambogia, also known as the Malabar Tamarind. The rind of this fruit is dried and used to produce a substance that is very similar to the citric acid found in oranges and other citrus fruits.

Specialists in plant compounds became aware of the remarkable qualities of this substance in the late 1960s, when they learned that it can temporarily inhibit the body’s production of fats from carbohydrates. During the normal metabolism of a meal, carbohydrate calories that are not used immediately for energy or stored as glycogen are converted into fats in the liver. Garcinia works by inhibiting the enzyme (citrate liase) which converts these calories into fat. As a result, the body will burn existing fat stores, thus aiding in weight loss.

When enough glycogen has been created and stored in the liver, a message is sent to the brain indicating sufficient food has been taken. This action is called a satiety reflex, and quells the appetite, reducing the desire for more food.

Forever Aloe Lips Nicola chucked this 1 in as an extra, I would actually say its better than vaseline for any of you that suffer from dry lips all year round like I do.. It is now an essential in my make-up bag!

There is more info on the Forever Living website on all of these products and the rest of the range.. Please contact me via facebook/instagram/twitter if you want any more info or to enquire about purchasing!

Recent OOTDs

Just a quickie blog to show some of my most recent OOTDs and where I got some of the purchases from! Maybe these will inspire your clobber for this weekend...

Fingers crossed its sunny, I got these vintage shorts from Clothes To The Edge (see previous blog), Red Crochet top in +Topshop  sale and standard 1million year old Converse

I wore this for my works doo last week, LBD, Sleeveless Camel Trench Coat was from +OfficialPLT and Strappy +Topshop Heels. I will be doing a blog on how I did my make-up for this next week 

Excuse the no make-up and more importantly lack of eyebrows.. Friday night pub attire. Cant go wrong with jeans and peep-toe heels 

This outfit was meant to be for an evening with friends but didnt actually end up going. Side split 

T-shirt from +OfficialPLT, Chelsea Boots from +ASOS and Jeans from +Missguided  

Brought out an old classic 2 weeks ago, this asymmetric dress is from +River Island  

Finally, complete in +Topshop from head to toe. Black strappy heels, Khaki Skort (although the lighting does it no justice) teamed with Khaki and Navy striped shirt

Salon Boxed

Who wants really pretty, really amazing and REALLY cheap make-up brushes??

MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

I have recently been on a mission to find a new set since mine have taken a beating over the recent months. I was obsessing over the Spectrum collection but with all the summer fun coming up, I just couldn't justify spending alot on them. I went on a mission to find a bargain like I seem to do on a daily basis and came across these beautiful brushes. They are from a brand called Salon Boxed and the handles are bamboo and the bristles are super soft but do everything you would expect a make-up brush to do i.e. full coverage and not irritate the skin. Usually, this full set is meant to be £59.99 but if you search Bamboo Make-Up on Wowcher, you can get this full set, with postage for under £12! They took just over a week to arrive, but you'll have to be quick because the offer only lasts til mid July. You don't have to break the bank to have to have the best make-up bag essentials.

Thank me later.

Lost in Amsterdam

I have been saying I was going to do this post for absolutely ages and I have now FINALLY managed to fit it in my pretty hectic schedule! I recently took a little city break to Amsterdam with my lovely boyfriend Jonathan and 2 of our friends Matty and Ailsa (public congrats to these 2, they got engaged whilst we were there!) I thought I would write up just a little blog about some of the places we went too and some handy tips for getting about Amsterdam!

We flew from Liverpool and stupid in the morning and the flight was super quick.. When we landed, there were plenty of taxis to flag down, but fortunately a taxi driver approached us in the airport to take us to our apartment! We were slightly confused when we arrived at Canal Street View apartments because there wasn't a reception to check into, but when we finally did get sorted, the apartment was amazing. 2 bedroom, kitchen, lounge and big bathroom! Between all 4 of us for flights and accommodation it was around £200 each including flights.

The first day we did a bit of exploring and basically decided that anything with a Heineken sign on was a good thing. We headed towards Dam square, standard touristy thing to do and then started to check out some of the pubs. Just off Dam square across from a big bar called Grasshopper was a side alley pub that gave out free Jagerbombs with every pint of Heineken. The standard price for a pint in pretty much every bar was 5.50. If you come out of this pub and turn left, you will find another main street with more bars. The second one we went into was a little Irish pub that had some of the best decor I have ever seen. On the way back we stopped at another Heineken pub that was across from the Anne Frank museum (great for people watching). Little tip, if you are thinking of going to the Anne Frank museum, book in advance, the queues were actually ridiculous.

We went back to get changed before going out that evening.. Its best to keep things casual on nights out in Amsterdam, think jeans and Chelsea boots. We headed to Rembrandtplein Square for something to eat before tearing up the town (good area for big clubs!). We ended up in an American-ish restaurant which was absolutely delish and reasonably priced considering where we were. After this, we headed to the infamous ice bar, where just outside on Skinny Bridge, Matty popped the question to Ailsa! The ice bar was around 20 each but this included 4 free drinks each, so I thought that was ideal. The actual ice bar its self didn't really live up to the Hype.. It was quite small and I know its stating the obvious, but eventually it got too cold. From here, we walked to Dam Square (took about 10 minutes) and ended up in a bar called Players. Non of us actually remember this night, so to me, that is just signs of a bloody good bar. "I left my heart in Players"

The second day, we all woke up feeling a little worse for wear but got up and got out anyway! This day we had booked on to a beer boat, but couldn't face it. We had booked it through www.funamsterdam.com where you pay a 10 deposit and 35 on arrival. We took a walk up the red light district instead, where you can imagine we saw some interesting sites. It is definitely a must if you go to Amsterdam. We parked in a nautical themed pub for a bit to people watch and have a hair of the dog before heading over to the sex museum. Probably the worst museum I have ever been in, it was about 5 floors of ornaments and photographs, then on the final floor there was a giant penis. Pretty much as good as it got! We got changed back at the apartment again, by this point Jonny was feeling a bit worse for wear so he decided to stay in and I third wheeled with Matty and Ailsa. We went to a beautiful restaurant called Gauchos, where I again had ribs, then had a couple of pints and went home.. Didn't want to leave Jonny fending for himself for too long!

 Our third and final day (cries into hands).. Everyone was in high spirits and all we wanted to do was get drunk! We headed out for a bite to eat, just outside Dam square in a small cafe then went to our fave pub across from the Anne Frank museum again then went to explore! We ended up in a pub near the main train station, where the floor was covered in sawdust and there was a group of men drinking shots of Heineken. Dont even ask. After here we ended up in what is probably my fave ever place, a cafe bar called Lost in Amsterdam. It is imperative that everyone that goes to Amsterdam, takes a visit to this place. When you go in, head right to the back. Its a smallish room filled with bean bags and chairs on the floor (pictured below), the waitress takes your drinks order and brings you shisha to share. Even the toilets in that place were cool. (Be careful of the cat that lives in here, well scary!)

Before heading home to get ready for the night out, we were all hungry and ended up in a curry house called Ashoka. We all agreed it was the best curry we had ever had. It took a while to cook but when it came, it was the absolute DON. I know its not conventional Amsterdam food, but it was bloody good. Once we had got changed for the evening, we decided to explore some cocktail bars. The first one was called door 74. It was down a little back alley and if you didn't know it was there you would miss it. The bar staff were amazing, they catered to all our tastes and gave us alot of "Nuclear shots", I still dont know what was in them but they were bloody lethal. The next cocktail bar was called Vesper, again, small bar but the drinks list was really good. The drinks were named after celebrities and the bar staff took great care preparing the drinks and even got us a round of free shots! Third bar of the night was Grasshopper which has 3 floors and we quickly realised it was probably better for eating rather than just drinking. So, of course we ended up back in Players where we had a game of pool and numerous vodka redbulls! Finally we headed back to Rembrant square and ended up in some dodgy club that was playing Christmas tunes before finishing off the night with a McDonalds.

Final tip, if you aren't walking distance from everywhere, then a good taxi number is +31 6 11144699, usually there in around 5 minutes! Hope this has been useful!

Harness Brazaar

There's a new craze flying about and its these little bad boys.. Harness Bras, I purchased mine from Harness Brazaar via depop! There are soo many different styles, and because they are elasticated, 1 size fits all. I wouldn't worry if you had small or large boobs, they seem to look good on pretty much every shape and size! Check out Harness Brazaar on instagram for more of their looks and inspo for what to wear it under. I chose to put mine under my American Apparel leotard with my check shirt and black ripped jeans... But I have seen some looks that are HOT especially for nights out. It was a bargain at £11 with free postage, and I ordered it 1 morning and it had landed on my doorstop the following afternoon. Definitely invest in 1 of these to add a bit of edge to any outfit, and it would be perfect for those summer nights in Ibiza.