My Holiday Essentials

Right now I very excited as I am off to Cape Verde on the 18th June for 10 nights. I cannot wait to spend some time chilling by the pool, with a cocktail in my hand and eating every bit of pizza in sight - no dieting for me!

Packing for a holiday can be stressful, especially for someone like me who will go over and over in my head double checking that I have got everything I need - I do not envy people who have to pack for a whole family that's for sure!

My holiday preparation starts normally a week before. I like to write a list of my 'to do' jobs (the boring jobs such as washing, ironing etc), and then a list of 'things I need to get'. That list mostly consists of paracetamol, deodorant, sun cream and so on. With that in mind, I thought I would put together a few of my 'essentials' which I could not be with out on my holiday!

Emergency Medical Kit

Having been on many family holidays when I was younger, I picked up a few things from my mum of must haves to have to hand in case of an emergency. The things I like to take with me are plasters - (in case of any shoe rubbing & cuts), paracetamol - for those mornings when I may have had one too many cocktails which leads nicely onto rehydration sachets. As I have gotten older I can no longer handle the morning after effects of drinking - especially in the heat!



Reading Material & Something to Watch

On holiday there is nothing I like more than sitting by the pool or beach on a sun lounger with a good book. The sort of books I enjoy reading are either something girly, lighthearted and witty or completely in the other direction, good thriller! I tend to get through books pretty quickly when away so I like to make sure I have a few to hand.

Not being a massive fan of flying I always like to make sure I have a few things in my hand luggage to keep me occupied. One thing I like to take is my iPad with a few programms downloaded on to it.

SPF & Aloe Vera 

Now this is an essential that everybody should follow! SPF is a must have for when the sun is shining to protect you skin and to prevent you from burning which is one of the causes of skin cancer! When I was younger I was quite careless when it came to sun cream. My thought process was if I don't wear any and just wear some form of tanning oil, I wont burn and my tan will be amazing...WRONG! These days I always make sure I pack nothing less than a factor 30 and at least one factor 50.

My go to SPF is Malibu Dry Oil Spray. I just love the smell of the strong coconut - it reminds me of holidays. I always like to make sure I pack a decent sized bottle of Aloe Vera too because lets face it, I do catch the sun every now and then!

A Giant Floppy Hat

There is nothing like a big floppy straw hat to keep the sun out of your face whilst reading! The fact they look super cute too helps!

So there we have it, just a few of my must haves! Of course I will be taking lots more with me (like way too many outfits that I possibly couldn't manage to wear in 10 days), but I am sure you all know a passport and pairs of pants are required! I will be updating my Instagram every now and then whilst I am away so keep an eye on that if you want to see more - @life.with.jessicaa

Wedding Dress Shopping

Back in January I took the plunge to start the wedding dress shopping process - mainly due to January sales. Initially, I had in my head that I would not start looking until April/May time as my worry was if I purchased my dress too early on, I would go off it in 18 months time.

The first place I visited was Kate Walker Bridal in Honiton. I met Kate back when we booked our venue and attended an open day. Kate not only owns her own bridal boutique, she has her own line of dresses.

Even though I did not purchase my dress here, I found Kate's expertise very helpful. Kate really took the time to understand what my special day was about and the overall look I was going for. She asked what sort of thing I wanted/ did not want and helped me with what she thought would suit my body shape best. Having never tried a wedding dress on before we decided that I should try on a few different styles to see how I felt in the different shapes and materials.

Overall, I tried on 5 dresses and came out of my appointment knowing what suited me best and what I felt most comfortable in. Unfortunately, I did not find 'the one' at my first appointment, but that was ok with me as it was the first time I had tried anything on!

In March I decided to visit a different style of wedding dress shop, Wed2B.

Wed2B is an 'off the peg' company. This means that they have a variety of dresses all on racks in size sections and they may only have one of the dress you like in your size. If you like the dress, you can take it home with you that very day! The prices are very affordable for a wedding dress compared to bridal boutiques and are just as good quality.

Having been shopping before and knowing what suited me & what did not, I found it quite easy to go along the racks and pick out dresses I wanted to try on. Something I did not know was that a wedding dress can be taken down two dress sizes so I looked through the size sections for 8-12.

I think I tried three dresses on before I found 'the one'. I knew that dress was the one because out of the 8 I tried on, I kept wanting to put the fourth back on - I put it on three times in total, and did not want to take it off. The assistants in the shop even said my body language changed when I put my dress on.

Don't be disheartened if you don't fit into your usual dress size either. I am an 8 normally but this was very snug on me around my back - luckily they had my dress in a 10 available. It will need taking in, in places such as the waist/bum and arms - which I will sort early next year!

For all you brides to be out there who are nervous about starting the dress shopping process, don't be! It is so much fun and if you don't find your dress after the first time, don't be worried. Once you find the one you will know, trust me!

Check out Wed2B's Instagram page too - they regularly post some lovely dresses!  https://www.instagram.com/wed2b

Slimming World Recipe : Sweet Potato, Spinach & Chicken Curry

As you know I follow the Slimming World plan from home. I love that I can eat wholesome, yummy foods and curry has to be one of my favorite things to cook on Slimming World!

When it comes to making a curry I like mine to have some heat to it and a creamy sauce. Most creamy curries from a curry house are very high in syns, so I love to make these. Knowing this is packed with goodness makes it even better too!

To make the Sweet Potato, Spinach & Chicken Curry you will need:

• Low Fat Creme Fraiche (I use the Tesco Healthy Living one)
• 1 Onion
• 1 Large Sweet Potato
• Diced Chicken
• Tinned Tomatoes
• Chilli Flakes 
• Spices of choice (I add curry powder, paprika, garlic & turmeric)
• Spinach

Firstly you want to add your diced onion & garlic into a pan and fry until softened. 

Add your diced sweet potato & chicken to the mix and cook until the chicken is mostly done. 

Once the chicken is almost cooked, add in your chilli flakes, tinned tomatoes & creme fraiche (approximately 2-3 tablespoons). Mix this all together until you get a creamy consistency.

Then you need to add in your chosen spices. This is all about preference as to how much you put in. I tend to add about 1 heaped teaspoon of each.

Then you need to leave this to simmer for a while on low with a lid on. I tend to leave mine for 30-40 minuets so that everything cooks together and the sweet potato is soft. 

Around 5 minuets before the end, add in your spinach. Spinach reduces down to not a lot so add approximately 1/2 - 3/4 of a bag.

This is such an easy recipe and tastes great every time! If you wanted more of a kick, you could add in some sweet chilli sauce as my mum likes to do! Serve yours with some rice or just on it's own. 

My Weekend of Up-cycling

A few months ago we had purchased a side table from Wayfair. I wanted something small and round to fill a corner in our living room with a lamp, but also something that wasn't pricey. I had my eye on a few with a cream/ antique white finish, but I could not bring myself to spend over £50. I saw this ash toned wooden side table on Wayfair which had a brushed white finish and opted to purchase that it was also in the sale so for £30 - bargain!

After using it for a couple of months it started to mark where the other half was placing his cups of tea, so I decided I would paint it with a colour I originally wanted. I had popped to Homebase to start looking for a paint for my front room and the Laura Ashley paint sale had caught my eye. They had lots of small tins of paint reduced down to £5.00 so I had a rummage through and voila - they had the perfect shade of antique white/ cream I was looking for.

As the table was just a plain wooden table it required no sanding down, so I was able to crack on with painting this straight away.

I am really pleased with how this has turned out as it really adds some brightness to the room as opposed to the ash wood colour! I am in the process of finding a colour I would like to paint my front room (we had already painted this with Bleached Lichen 3 by Dulux, however, I have gone off this colour now...forever changing my mind), I would now like a soft light grey colour!

My next task was to re-cover my dining chairs. The chairs we brought back before we moved in were from Ikea and thinking back now I wish I had bought these light grey fabric ones I had my eye on in the first place. The chairs aren't anything special just a simple wooden frame with cream fabric seats. As our dining table is in the kitchen the light cream seats had gotten very dirty and started to turn slightly black from what I am guessing was sitting on them in dark jeans!

I knew I wanted a light dove grey fabric to cover these, but with a pattern on to add a little something. Whilst the other half and I were in Dunelm the other weekend I had to have a look at their fabrics to see if they had anything. I found this lovely printed fabric that was just perfect for them.

I am super pleased with how this has turned out. It was such a simple thing to do, but just added something extra in my kitchen!

My task for March is to re-paint the living room, and to add a few finishing touches by way of accessories! I may even attempt to make my own cushion covers, so watch this space...

Interior : Desenio Prints

I have been looking for the perfect prints for my home to add some character and to make everything feel more 'homely'.

I have come across  Desenio before , however could never really decide on what I wanted. When I saw that they had a sale on before Christmas I decided to have another look at what they had on offer. A few of the prints I had my eye on were in the sale so I decided to take the plunge and just order them and hope they did the job I wanted!

I can say I am very pleased with the quality of these prints. They came delivered in a long round tube all rolled up in a protective paper. The actual prints themselves are finished to a very high quality thick paper and a gloss finish.

The prints I opted for were firstly for my living room. I wanted something floral with a hint of green and grey and these two were just perfect for the job! The theme in my front room is grey with hints of beige/ white - I am not a fan of lots of colour and much prefer the softer tones.

Finally, I was looking for something to fill a blank wall I have in my kitchen. My mum has these lovely vintage cutlery prints in her dining room which I really like so wanted something similar but for a fraction of the cost! I had my eye on this print for quite sometime and am very pleased with how it looks in my kitchen! Living in a new build property I find there is not much character so we are in the slow process of trying to 'countrify' our kitchen slightly.

You should definitely check out Diseno if you are looking for some photograph style prints! I have my eye on a few more I would like for our bedroom & bathroom - which I will be purchasing next month!

My Goals - 2018 Edition

Here we are again, another year another time to reflect! Its the first few days back to reality after the Christmas period where we all decide what our goals for this year are going to be.

I always set myself goals, but quite often don't achieve them fully or at all - which I am sure I am not the only one!

This year I have decided to set myself some smaller, more achievable goals.

One thing I am determined to actually achieve this year (and didn't really manage last year) is to get myself into an exercise routine. The reason I think I did not complete this last year is because I did not have anything to work towards, but now I have a holiday to Cape Verde in June and am determined to feel amazing in my bikini! I have started swimming once a week with a friend, and am going to make myself get back into running. I am also going to have a go at some weight training/ HIIT to tone up - just waiting on my dumbbells to arrive!

The next goal I have set myself is save, save, save - we now have a wedding & honeymoon to pay for of course! We are also wanting to save for a few other things and a new house. We only plan on living in the home we have now for a maximum of 5 years (hopefully) so the more we can save for our forever home over the next few years the better!

Leading on from home related goals I would love to finish the house off this year. There is not much left to do, but they come with a price tag. First on our list is to fit a built in wardrobe and then its on to the kitchen tiling and a new sink & tap - I hate the stainless steel! Everywhere needs a fresh coat of paint and some holes filling in, but that can wait until everything is finished.

Finally, my last goal is to worry less about what other people are doing and focus on what I want and to not care what other people think. I am a worrier and I get frustrated at myself sometimes for letting other people get to me - all that matters is my happiness after all!

I can't wait to look back at the end of this year to see what I have achieved.  hopefully I will do better than last year!