Insta-Happenings

So much Christmas cheer!

As I jet off to Switzerland to see my family for Christmas the BF and I decided to have our own little Christmas day! I popped on a cosy christmassy jumper - complete with jingle bells! - slicked on some red lips and was ready for some early presents! We headed out for a big Sunday lunch and then curled up with Love Actually and chocolate - I'm now even more excited for the real day!

But, before I head off I had to wrap up all the presents to go under the tree at home. This paper is gorgeous and sparkly. The glitter gets everywhere, but I'm not complaining!

I also popped up a special festive post for you lovely lot. As I was packing up my suitcase I got to thinking about all the essentials you need for Christmas. Think sparkly clothes, festive make-up, cosy jumpers and everything in between.

My #tbt was a memory from three years ago - time flies! Christmas is a time for dressing up and I can't wait to get all dressed all fancy again this year.

I love how everywhere is transformed at Christmas time into a special, sparkling place. Glasgow always looks so pretty with strings of fairy lights draped from building to building. I wandered down below them, picking up last minute gifts with the brass band playing carols nearby. It was just so christmassy and sparkly!

And the best bit about Christmas is spending time with my favourite people! This was a couple of Christmasses ago with my sisters - who also feature in my latest post -I'm so excited for Christmas day to come around soon. We'll unwrap stockings, eat all we can and giggle over games of charades - how long until Santa comes?

Festive Essentials

I am a Christmas Crazy - I love this time of year!

"It's the most wonderful time of the year.......!"

I love it when the festive season comes around. The air is all chilly and you wrap up in loads of layers to sip mulled from festive mugs, you get your party gear all looked out and glitter flys everywhere and any free time you can grab is spent curled up on the sofa in pyjamas with a Christmas candle burning in the background - ahhhh bliss.

And all the essentials you need are....

Christmas Day Sparkles

There was and article in a recent Stylist all about how the tradition of dressing up for Christmas really shouldn't be forgotten - and I completely agree. On Christmas day we unwrap stockings and tuck into breakfast in our pyjamas and as soon as all the presents have been unwrapped and the bucks-fizz polished off we head off to get all dolled up. Christmas is a time for sparkly clothes, dressing up and making an occasion out of it. I've got this gorgeous gold sparkly skirt packed for the big day and you should add as many sequins as you can to your Christmas Day outfit!

Magical Make-Up 

And to go with your sparkly Christmas outfit, your make-up should be just as wonderful! I love a bright red lip any time of year, but at Christmas it's even more perfect. I've got quite a collection, from deep dark reds, to a glittery special one to a bright pillar-box hue. This year I think I'll be going for the lovely Clinique red that I actually got as a freebie in Glamour - success! I also love a little bit of sparkle on my face and this gold eye-shadow stick from No7 is my new best friend. It just adds a dusting of gold sparkles and the stick means it stays all day, from the turkey to the charades and mince pies. Pop some glitter on your nails too - you know you want to...

Cosy Jumpers

Winter time is all about layering up. Quite often on Christmas Day we head out for a nice long walk in the snow. This calls for cosy jumpers - and to be honest I tend to live in big woolly contraptions this time of year. I love my big navy-blue roll neck, the oversized brown knitted number and the massive thick red cardigan that wraps around like a winter cuddle. You also need a little winter-specific number in their and this slogan one was a great buy from ASOS - the Christmas jumper with a chic twist - it's my airport staple as I fly home for Christmas.

Santa's Grotto 

Now that you're looking all Christmassy don't forget to dress your home! We're moving out of our flat in the new year so decided that going full-on Elf and completely transforming the flat just wasn't worth it. But, there is little things you can do to make your home feel Christmassy. I love having a Christmas candle glowing in the background, feeling the air with a beautifully Christmasy scent. I also pop up little decorations that I've collected over the years. Of course Christmas cards and a delicious advent calendar all help to create the special festive feeling. Next year we'll go all out with the biggest tree and plenty of tinsel!

Perfect Pyjamas

I love buying new pyjamas, there's something so lovely about pulling a fresh new pair in the prettiest pattern - nice pyjamas just make me feel special. I usually just head to Primark to get them too! They've always got a huge range of patterns and are pretty cheap so you can pick up as many pairs as you need! These were most recent purchase, I love the red and white, perfect for Christmas morning. And they look just as good snuggled up under a onesie with Love Actually on the telly and massive hot chocolate balanced on your lap.

The Finishing Touches

Don't forget the accessories! There's always so many festive finishing touches you can add! Festive earrings are always a hit. I love these snowflake ones for a more subtle hit of Christmas cheer. My Dad brought them back from a ski holiday and I love wearing them when winter snow starts falling. A novelty bag is always so much fun, and you can't go wrong with a chocolate-coin themed one! Perfect for filling up with the real thing hidden at the bottom of your stocking. Of course, faux-fur is always ideal for winter and I always pop on this furry headband - it makes me feel all classy and wonderfully warm.

The Big One... 

FAMILY!

Christmas would be nothing without my lovely family around me. Myself and my two sisters jet off to Switzerland to our parents, head up to the mountains and hide out for week of skiing and Christmas fun. As we all live in different places we're always so excited to spend time all together and revert back to big kids, screaming with excitement when Santa has filled our stockings and falling out over charades. I'm so excited to head over this year and my plane to the most important Christmas ingredient couldn't come soon over - see you soon Buchanans!

Insta-Happenings

All I needed was some girlie days and a little bit of relaxation...

Girls Day Out - yaaa! I was lucky enough to be treated to some tickets to the annual Girls Day Out in Glasgow, myself and a friend wandered down on a miserable Sunday and were quickly cheered up when we wandered into the pinkest space I've ever been in! We checked out the shows and marvelled at the bargains - I've popped up a post to tell you all about it!

Last Saturday I headed through to Edinburgh for a festive day with my sister. We went to the Edinburgh Christmas market and sipped on mulled wine whilst watching the ice skaters, float (and fall) below. It was such a lovely christmassy day and got me right in the festive mood. 

After the market to was prosecco time, of course. We jumped into 99 Hanover Street in Edinburgh when the rain started. I love a place that's got the prettiest decoration and how wonderful is this ceiling! Of course it called for an instagram snap. We chinked glasses and chatted about what we hoped Santa would bring us this year. 

How awful has the weather been lately! When I woke up at the weekend it was like a tornado outside and I knew I wouldn't be going anywhere in a hurry. The only way to spend rainy mornings is to have a cup of tea delivered to your bedside and curl back up under the duvet with a good book and know that you don't have to face the gale outside. 

Recently I went along to a lovely event in Neal's Yard Remedies gorgeous shop in Glasgow. It was an evening filled with all kinds of treats and I couldn't wait to share all the loveliness with you! They have so many amazing natural products and their gift sets for Christmas are just perfect.

Sisters are simply the best. And I came home from a miserable day to find a little unexpected parcel poking through the letterbox - it was this scrumptious little cookie from my sister! It was the cutest surprise ever and cheered me right up! Thanks big sister!

As I mentioned earlier we went along to Girls Day Out and I wrote all about it for you lovely lot! Think some funny dance troops, amazing bargains and some fashion shows. This was the Warehouse Fashion Show and it was great to give you ideas before you popped off to their stall to enjoy the 25% off on offer.

Red lips and breton stripes - what more do you need?!

After the event at Neal's Yard Remedies we were treated to a little goodie bag and hidden inside was this gorgeous gift set. A wrote a review all about it, sharing how much I loved it. It's the most relaxing combination, just perfect to unwind with.

REVIEW: Neal's Yard Remedies, Unwind

This is just the perfect bath set to end a busy day with.... or just cos, ya know, you deserve to feel blissfully relaxed any time you want to!

I had the most delightful evening at Neal's Yard Remedies store in Glasgow recently and I was treated to a little goodie bag! And hidden inside was this gorgeous little set from the 'Unwind Organic  Aromatic Collection'. I couldn't wait to try it and with a Friday evening free after a monstrously busy week I knew I'd found the perfect time.

The delightfully gorgeous and flower-covered box opens up to re-fill the delights hidden inside - the most fabulous duo to help you relax at night - a bottle of Foaming Bath and a tun of the Body Butter.

The packaging is simply beautiful and pretty design makes it feel like a really special treat.

Both are "infused with the fresh and soothing scent of organic lavender, geranium and marjoram essential oils, to make the worries of the day simply melt away" - and believe me they really do! The ingredients are what makes this set, the smell is just sublime and you can tell that Neal's prides itself on using natural and organic ingredients.

I ran a deep, delightfully hot bath and poured in the foaming bath and it made the perfect amount of bubbles, although I did feel like I was using a lot. Then all that's left to do is slip in and dream...

The Foaming Bath boasts that it's relaxing, conditioning and soothing and put simply it's just fantastically lovely. It makes for a "delightfully fragrant bath to bring a sense of wellbeing" and it's a  "skin-conditioning herbal infusion to help you relax and unwind" - basically it is just the most wonderful thing to help you to completely chill out.

Once the water has started to turn luke-warm dry yourself off in a big fluffy towel and get ready for the next step of your evening of relaxation.

The Body Butter claims to nourish, smooth skin, whilst containing relaxing aromatherapy. And I found it left my skin feeling soft and smelling beautiful, it "deeply nourishes and relaxes - soothing essential oils infuse a rich creamy blend of organic butters and oils." It was nice and thick and melted into my skin, leaving you feeling like the moisturiser was working its magic overnight.

The main reason I absolutely adored the duo was the fragrance. It was just so lovely, and it was strong - you can smell it well after you've first used it and the lingering scent only adds to a relaxing evening. It really helps you to wind down as you soak in a lavender heaven and smooth geranium goodness into your skin. Lavender is said to be 'soothing and balancing' and for most is a familiar sweet fragrance, helping to restore skin as well as working as an antiseptic. Geranium is 'calming and rejuvenating' calming and soothing the nervous system, whilst also having skin regenerative properties and, like lavender, working as an antiseptic.

It's the loveliest set, you feel luxurious and indulgent when you're using it. Run a big bubbly bath, smother yourself in body butter and just relax. I felt so wonderfully chilled out after I'd used it, ready to curl up with a cup of tea, hot water bottle and good book. It was the best thing for when I was feeling a little stressed out, but I can't wait to use it again when I need a little 'me-time'.

Thanks again so much to Neal's for having me and for the set - it is simply gorgeous and I absolutely love it!

Girls Day Out

SO MUCH PINK!

The other weekend myself and my girliest friend popped along to the Girls Day Out Show after I was lucky enough to be treated to two tickets. It was the windiest, wettest and most miserable days outside and we battled the elements over to the SECC and were soon cheered up as we entered the pinkest room I've ever seen!

The Girls Day Out Show is an annual event that runs right through from Friday to Sunday and is filled with fashion, beauty, shopping, entertainment and cocktails. There's over 200 exhibitors, including the likes of Benefit, Warehouse, Flamingo Candles and so, so many more...

It's all thing girly and superbly pink!

One of the best things about the day was the shows.

Ok, ok so this was a bit of a silly one - but it was actually hilarious and we giggled the whole way through. The GDO (Girls Day Out) Hunks took to the stage and danced up a storm, much to our hilarity. The crowd was whopping and hollering and it felt like you were at some really odd mass hen-do! It was so funny though and got us giggling!

Up next was the Warehouse Fashion Show, one that I could take a little more seriously!

The models strutted their stuff in everything from gorgeous jackets and cosy jumpers to the ultimate party outfits. It was a great way to get an idea of what you might fancy buying and I picked out so many things that I loved, making a mental shopping list as they sashayed by. You came away with a whole load of ideas for your wardrobe, and it was great to see the clothes actually on and how you could pair them.

We were feeling so inspired we headed straight to the Warehouse stall and my friend snapped up the most gorgeous metallic skirt she'd seen in the show. It even had 25% off and on top of that we were given a wee voucher for 20% off in store - this made me very pleased!

The day was about all things girly and fabulous. People filled their arms with bags of goodies and then relaxed with glasses filled with prosecco. It was just a fabulous day to pick up some really good bargains, get some Christmas shopping ideas and generally just have a giggle - get it in your diaries for next year ladies!

Thank you again so much for the tickets - we had the best pink and glittery afternoon!

Neal's Yard Remedies

I went along to a really lovely event at Neal's Yard Remedies Glasgow store - an evening filled with the most gorgeous natural products and a few treats thrown in there!

Neal's Yard is all about natural beauty: "Our vision was to bring the expertise of the apothecary and our holistic approach to health and beauty, to people and communities." There's definitely been a growing interest in natural remedies, that stay away from the synthetic, chemical approach - and Neal's Yard is without a doubt a leader in this field, offering Skincare, Bath & Body, Aromatherapy, Remedies and even Make-Up.

Herbs lined the walls, adding to the natural feel of the shop and all the products...

Throughout the evening we were able to browse all the beautiful bottles on offer, as well being treated to some taster treatments and filling up Christmas shopping lists with beautiful gift sets.

The gift sets that they had filling up the shelves are so stunning! They're covered in the most gorgeous packaging, all bright colours and pretty flowers. And the shop was also delightfully Christmassy, leaving you wondering if Santa would bring you any of these treats.

I really liked the idea of the Frankincense one - well if we're going with the Christmas theme! It aims to rejuvenate and the "precious, wild-harvested Frankincense is the perfect firming, toning, rejuvenating treat for all skin types." It includes a refining cleanser, hydrating cream, toner and your own organic muslim cloth.

And there's also so many others to choose from!

And lots of lovely products to try!

For my taster treatment I decided to try a bit of acupuncture - eeeek! It's something I've never tried before, but decided that tonight would be the night to give it a go! I met the lovely Linda, who explained a bit more about acupuncture. It's a practice that is derived from ancient Chinese medicine, and as it's been around so long it must do something right? I often have problems with a sore shoulder and Linda decided that we'd concentrate on this area. She carefully measured my legs and popped in a pin in each leg just below my knees. After rotating my arm a couple of times it definitely felt a lot looser and just less tense in general - I was so surprised it could make so much difference in one go!

If you fancy giving acupuncture a try, Linda is offering a you your 5th session for free with the code Blogg2515L. She's also doing detox programme and research into back pain and treating it with acupuncture - just get in touch with Neal's Yard Remedies in Glasgow if you're interested.

There was also some lovely hand massages going on. I picked the Wild Rose Hand Cream - as I'm definitely a fan of floral scents - and then just relaxed. The cream was really nourishing and softening and definitely great for protecting your hands in chilly weather.

All that was left to do was fill up a Christmas wish list....

A massive thank you to Neal's Yard for having me along for the evening and for all the wonderful ladies that made it such a lovely night!