Bank Holiday summary & 5 good things

This week's Monday summary will be a little bit different. As I've had 3 days off I wanted to let you know what I've been up to, plus tell you about my 5 good things as always.

Saturday

Saturday was a busy day. We woke up early and tidied the house - I find it's best to get boring housework out of the way then the rest of the day is free to enjoy the fun things in life! Just after lunchtime we headed out with the dogs and took them shopping to their favourite place.. Pets at Home! They love wandering up and down the aisles making friends with other dogs and licking small children with their little smelly tongues. We got them a new lead each but resisted temptation in the treats aisle because their bellies are rotund enough! Andrew showed Lola some fish and she seemed to like them! Or possibly wanted to eat them, I'm not sure.

Lola's face in this photo cracks me up!

"Whatchu lookin at?"

Then the boyfriend dropped me off at a charity shop where I spent a veeery long time rummaging and deciding what to get. I found some Topshop Baxter jeans for £3 but they were too tight on the legs and too loose round the waist (what is up with that!?) so in the end I just got a lovely little blue and white trinket box and an ornate gold mirror. The mirror was only £8 and the box was £2 which I thought was pretty cheap. The box will be used to store some of my rings and the mirror is homeless at the moment but will probably end up in my bedroom near where I get ready on a morning. Also my Mum gave me this little orange box (that she bought in Morocco) after she saw me eyeing it up on her bookshelf. I'll also use it to store my bits and bobs, jewellery etc.

Then we grabbed some lunch, dropped the dogs off at home for a snooze and headed to TK Maxx. You know how much I love it there after recently discovering the joys hidden inside! They had lots of cool stuff but we left empty handed. That shop is like Pringles for me; once I pop I just can't stop! We popped into Asda to look at the cushions but I got sidetracked by the jewellery and clothes. Who knew Asda did such pretty jewellery! I got a little gold bow ring (similar to the ones in Accessorize) for £2, a large and very pretty gold and floral ring for £4 and a red/white stripy top for £8.

To finish off the day we went to see Robin Hood at the cinema - not my choice, but it wasn't bad! I can't complain when there's hot men involved!

Sunday
Yesterday I picked my Mum up and we went for lunch in Chapel Allerton (Leeds). We both had a goats cheese & root vegetable tart with a side salad which was yummy and we shared a portion of chips.

I headed home and donned my workout gear ready for a jog. Usually the bf comes with me and times me (as well as egging me on when I want to stop) but he was busy so I decided to go on my own. Big mistake! My legs totally cramped up and I gave up after 5 minutes. I headed home, a bit upset, and tried again with the bf a bit later on when I successfully managed 35 minutes.

Monday
Today my Mum and Dad came over and Andrew cooked a big roast chicken dinner with a little help from me. I helped with the roast potatoes and the gravy :) What can I say, I'm not the best cook! For afters we had triple chocolate cake (not good for the waist line) and a lovely cup of tea.

Now.. it's chill out time watching Britain's Got Talent with a nice cuppa and a cuddle with the dogs, ready for the working week to begin tomorrow!

What did you do over the weekend?

5 good things:

1) Our new sofa arrives tomorrow after a 7 week wait! Excited :)

2) In 4 weeks time I have 2 weeks off work - yippee! I'm looking forward to some chill out, rest and recuperation! Oh, and a little bit of sun!

3) I have got lots to blog about over the next couple of weeks!

4) I'm fully into the swing of things with exercise and I feel really focused on losing a few pounds before my holiday.

5) I bought some Fluff! This post mentioned how much I want to try it.. well, I caved in and ordered some from Ebay. I still haven't found any cheap Flipz or come to think of it, any knobbly Cheetos which are my favourite crisps EVER! I can't believe they weren't given a mention in my original post!!

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Help Georgia

I recently found a really cool blog by Kaelah. I love finding blogs that I can sit and read for ages, working my way through the old posts. The first thing I noticed about Kaelah is her awesome tattoos and her adorable pooch - Georgia.

Georgia is poorly at the moment and to help raise funds for her eye surgery Kaelah is putting all of her Etsy earnings towards the surgery. If you like pretty prints on headbands and brooches then head on over to her store. Not only are the prices really reasonable but it's helping out a great cause.

As you know I have 3 dogs, and within a month of adopting Lily she needed an operation to remove an ingrowing eyelash inside her lid which was rubbing on her eye and causing an ulcer. This did not come cheap, in fact a 15 minute appointment with the eye specialist just to get his opinion was £140. I know how hard it can be when things go wrong and it breaks my heart that Georgia is so poorly.

I've seen some really cute things in Kaelah's store - I hope you do too!

xx

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New purchase: River Island Colour Block Maxi Dress

When I spotted Sunshine Sam in her new maxi dress I thought 'doesn't she look pretty!' but I decided that it wouldn't suit me and I should forget all about being a maxi-dress-wearer this Summer.

However, when I spotted it on the rails in River Island I decided to try it on and alas, it looked fabulous! It's a really slimming, flattering style and I love the colour block element. It will be perfect for my Summer holiday for day or night. Now I just need a few accessories to match.

So come on girls, tell me.. what would you wear it with? Are you going to be sporting a maxi dress this year?

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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (& some photos from my last trip to Orlando)

If you didn't know, Orlando is my favourite holiday destination! I love the weather, the friendly people, and feeling like a big kid at the many theme parks. If you add my favourite place to my favourite books/films you get an excited little ol' me!

When an email popped into my inbox recently about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter I was SO excited. I was there last May and could only see the shell of Hogwarts and a lot of dust, so being able to see it all finished on the website and seeing the stars of the films testing it out was pretty ace! I cannot wait to go back for the 6th time next year and visit this new part of Islands of Adventure!



If any of you go you HAVE to tell me all about it :)

I'll leave you with some snaps from last year's trip to Orlando/Miami which was just fabulous and full of fun.

Click to enlarge

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Boots Smooth Skin by iPulse - first impressions

I realise I'm a little behind the other Boots Smooth Skin reviews that you may have seen - apologies! Life sometimes gets in the way of blogging and hair removal! Although when I went to get my eyebrows threaded the lady asked if I'd like my top lip doing too. Cheeky thing! I'll sort my 'tash out myself thank you very much :)

Anywhoo, I digress! I have done my patch test with the machine and also used it a handful of times so I'm ready to give you my first impressions.

- The machine pieces are easy to set up and put away once you've done it once.

- The instructions are easy to follow.

- The gel is included in the pack.

- There are 3 settings dependent on your skin type.

Moving on to actually using the machine.. I wish I'd filmed me doing my patch test. I was expecting zero pain but damn, it hurt! I almost went through the ceiling! I'm a wimp though, it must be said. My boyfriend did a little patch test too and he found it pain free (so he said).

The feeling for me feels like a little pinch, similar to if I plucked out an individual hair. There's also a slight burning feeling in some areas. BUT, compared to waxing which hurts me so much I can't bear to have it done I'm happy to put up with a little bit of stinging.

If this works it is an amazing piece of kit to have at home. The downside is the price. Would I have gone out and bought this with my own money? In all honesty, no. However it is currently on offer for £274.99 which is a much better price. If you went halves with your friend, Sister or Mum then it's actually not too bad at all! Think of how much you may spend on leg waxing per year. If it's a lot then I think it is worth investing in something like this.

I will keep you posted when/if I start to see results!

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To thread or not to thread

I had my very first experience with threading this week. I decided my eyebrows were starting to resemble a couple of caterpillars and it was time to get them knocked back into shape. Normally I do them myself and then every so often get them waxed or plucked professionally so that I can maintain the shape at home but I decided to give threading a go after my Sister was impressed with her experience of it.

The process took longer than waxing and it wasn't painful, but it was an irritating kind of feeling made worse by the fact that it wasn't an instant process like waxing. She did the middle (no I don't have a mono brow.. hehe.. just a few little strays), the underneath and the top, and changed the shape and look of my brows altogether.

In a few minutes and for £8 I got the brows I've always wanted but have never been able to do myself. They are symmetrical, perfectly neat and unlike plucking/waxing, which sometimes leaves behind very short hairs, threading got the lot!

I recommend you give it a whirl!

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12 questions tag

I am borrowing this tag from one of the super cute blogs that I follow - cupcakes and rainbowdust. It's a 12 questions tag - feel free to do your own :)

What shoe size are you?

UK size 7. In flats I can sometimes look like a golf club. Also in some shops I'm in between a 6 and a 7 which is very annoying!

Where do you work?

I work on the outskirts of Leeds in the Human Resources department of a financial company. It is very varied, busy and interesting.

Favourite piece of clothing you own?

My selection of Ugg boots. Not technically clothing, but I could not live without Uggs. I wear them constantly!

Your favourite blog?

I have so many. My current favourites are skinnyrunner, rockstardiaries, A Little Bird Told Me, Lions, Tigers & Fashion OH MY, Pearls & Poodles, and many more.

Do you have any pets?

Yes - you all know this by now! :) I have 2 Pugs, Lily and Lola, and a Bichon Frise called Geri. Geri was my boyfriend's dog before we met and together we got the Puggies.

How many siblings do you have?

1 sister - Adele. She is 2 years older than me.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

Somewhere warm, sunny, near the beach, with a friendly community and plenty of shops nearby! But ultimately I would want to live near my family so they would have to come too!

What were you doing before this?

Wandering round Ikea. We bought a huge rug and some colourful drinking glasses in case you wondered :)

Your favourite food?

Pizza - ham and pineapple is my favourite and I could probably eat it every day if I had to.

Do you have a middle name?

Yes, Claire :)

Your favourite websites?

Apart from blogs I like browsing on Ebay, River Island, weheartit, The Skinny Website and many more. I'm a total Internet wh*re!

Who do you tag?

Anyone!

xx

Cute cupcake pictures - www.weheartit.com

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Lily, Lola & Geri = BFF

I am going to transfer some of my old You Tube videos onto my Vimeo account. First up, my babies! Lily, Lola and Geri. If you haven't seen it already, enjoy! :)

Lily, Lola & Geri from Victoria Jackson on Vimeo.

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Monday summary

It's Monday.. again! I know I say this every damn week but boy time just flies doesn't it?!

A big hello to my new readers who must have spotted me on Gemma's latest video. I'm happy to have you here and I hope you like what you see! I'll try not to disappoint :)

For those of you who aren't sure, I update every Monday and list 5 good things that are going on in my life. It's a great way to focus on the positive and forget (even if it's only temporarily) about the negative.

1) The new blog I'm working on with Gemma is really taking off. So many of you ladies have emailed with your fabulous outfits! If you have emailed us keep your eyes peeled on the website and you'll see your pic really soon :)

2) The weather. I love the sunshine! Actually I only love it at the weekend. Sitting at work in a shirt  and trousers consuming cups of tea and people accidentally changing the air con to 30 degrees heat is NO fun! A sweaty stressed out Victoria is not a fun one I can tell you.

3) My boyfriend handed in his Architecture coursework today (he's doing a graduate diploma in Architecture whilst working full time) which means my boyfriend is back from the depths of the University library, the house study and being a stressed out ball of meanie. Hoorah!

My 2nd favourite Architect, Tom from 500 Days of Summer

4) I had a really healthy week last week; lots of salad (warm weather makes me want to eat right!), lots of water, lots of fresh air and exercise, no biscuits at work, less cups of tea, and generally less being lazy. And I'm 1kg lighter then the last time I weighed myself so that's pretty dang cool! I'm currently obsessed with salad, preferably with a little bit of feta cheese and a drizzle of light dressing. It's the perfect lunch to avoid that bloated belly feeling all afternoon. Yum!

5) Payday tomorrow! 'nuff said! :)

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LOST: It's all over! (no spoilers)

I got up at 5am this morning to watch the finale of the tv show that I've followed religiously for 6 years. It was totally worth it! Although I cried my way through pretty much the whole thing.

I'm not going to spoil the ending because I know how annoying that can be when you haven't watched something but then you accidentally read about it!

I feel so sad.. it's the end of an era and I will really miss watching the show. It has been the best programme for cliff-hanger endings, twists, turns, and baddies. I won't lie, I will also miss Matthew Fox.

If you watched or if you're going to catch up tonight let me know what you think!

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I know what you wore this Summer - an exciting new blog!

Gemma of Gem's Maquillage has come up with a fab idea - a new blog called I Know What You Wore This Summer. A blog dedicated to Summery 'Outfit of the Day' photos featuring all of you fellow bloggers! Plus the pair of us occasionally :)

Gemma kindly asked if I would help out and of course I'm happy to oblige. It's a great idea and I hope you ladies will get involved! It's a great way to get outfit inspiration and discover new blogs. Already I have found some very stylish ladies and some fabulous blogs!

It's really easy to get involved and you can take part as many times as you like. All you have to do is send one photo of your outfit - head to toe is best! - and email it to iknowwhatyouworethissummer@gmail.com with a brief message and your blog address if you would like to go in the sidebar.

If you want people to know where you got your clothes from please try to include the text in the photo itself using photoshop or paint perhaps.

The blog is here.
The Twitter page is here.
The Facebook page is here.

Let us know what you think!

xx

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Currently lusting over: H&M maxi dress

I'm currently on the hunt for a flattering, reasonably priced, pretty maxi dress. I own one currently and it has been worn once, never to be seen again.

The one I fancy the most:

H&M - no doubt sold out as it's such a bargain! If I had been quicker off the mark I would have got a black/white striped, blue/white striped and possibly a plain one too. If anyone spots one in a size 12 be sure to let me know :) Heck, I would even try and squeeze into a 10!

I would throw this on over a bikini on the beach or dress it up for an evening meal. Lovely!

xx

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Hands up if you're enjoying the sunshine!

Sitting in the garden; big sunglasses; chatting to the neighbours; sleepy dogs; cherry scones; cups of tea; fresh orange juice; looking a little bit tanned; gladiator sandals; shady breaks inside; blogging; trying to figure out how to make my own iced tea; talking on the phone... my day.

www.weheartit.com

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Loreal - Perfect Clean "Refreshing"

When this first appeared I thought it was a silly gimmick and I decided I wouldn't be buying it. Then while browsing the aisles in Boots I realised that I wanted an exfoliator and face wash in one. This seemed like the ideal solution because there is the option to exfoliate using the "scrublet" only when you need to.

The choice of face washes on offer in my store was rather limited and I don't think the "refreshing" type is the most suitable for me, but I would definitely consider purchasing a different type because I love the concept. The "scrublet" is a great little idea. It is gentle but effective and creates a really good lather on the skin. I love the design of the bottle and the fact the "scrublet" is part of the design.

Have you tried one of these face washes yet?

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I went to London (& didn't buy Heat magazine!)

I promised some photies from our sightseeing part of the London trip and here they are! We had almost a full day in London the day after seeing She & Him and we managed to do quite a bit. The weather wasn't on our side unfortunately, plus I had packed for a lovely Spring day so I froze my bit and pieces off but never mind. It was still lots of fun!

I think this sums up the weather with me looking rather windswept and messy. I could barely open my eyes, see!

Andrew surprised me with Fast Pass tickets onto the London Eye which meant we got to skip the ticket queue and the queue for the London Eye itself which meant no standing in the rain! Yay. We watched the short 4D video before we went on and it was pretty fabulous - I recommend watching it if you can!

The London Eye was great - I really enjoyed it. We each got a complimentary pull-out card guide with all the landmarks marked on, some well known and some not so, so it was nice knowing what we were looking at.  Obviously I know which one Big Ben is ;)

One lady got the end of my evil eye as she decided to keep placing her head in front of me at every available opportunity. At one point I was stood looking out and she knelt down in front of me, then just stood up and the back of her head was almost touching my face! haha. Some people are very strange.

After going on The London Eye and having a wander round that area we hopped onto the tube (I have a strong dislike for the tube - all the hopping on and off, complicated routes and sweaty people is just awful!) and went to The Natural History Museum. I hadn't been since being really really small when the animatronic dinosaurs scared me to tears. Jurassic Park has never been an enjoyable film for me I must say!

By this point it was late afternoon and we were hungry, thirsty and a bit weary so we headed to Hard Rock Cafe. We used to have one in Leeds but it closed and I was gutted! I loved that place, I used to go all the time.

Let me introduce you to the tastiest, unhealthiest salad ever. Chicken Haystack salad with Blue Cheese dressing. I would happily eat this every day. I have never been able to finish a whole one of these bad boys!

And that's all folks. Once we had finished our lovely dinner and had one last wander (okay, we got lost..) we made our way back to Leeds on the coach feeling very tired and sleepy. What a wonderful trip!

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American sweets are the best

You guys across the pond get way better sweets than we do! When I go to America on holiday (sorry, vacation! :)) It's a well known fact that I eat my weight in Baby Ruth's.

Exhibit A - Fluff. I have wanted to try this in FOREVER! But do I want to pay £8 at Selfridges Food Hall? No I do not. I also feel for those of you who have mentioned tracking down Lucky Charms. We had them back in my younger days but they disappeared, and yes marshmallow pieces for breakfast aren't ideal but they were tasty as hell! Lucky Charms can also be found for £8 a box at Selfridges I believe. Quick tip: these are meant to be a cheaper alternative!

Visiting The Stateside Candy Co website is a guilty pleasure of mine. Here is what I'm currently drooling over:

Fluff!

Flipz - any variety. All varieties!

Peanut Butter M&M's

Wait, what's that.. Coconut M&M's!!

And for good measure, to balance out the sweet, I need to lust over some savoury items:

Kraft Blue Cheese Dressing. Blue Cheese is my most favourite thing in the whole world.

and finally, who could resist the sound of some Bone Suckin' Sauce!

I have made myself well and truly hungry. Now I'll go back to blogging about jogging and weight loss! ;)

All photos borrowed from The Stateside Candy Co website

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Share the Love: Little Blog of Horrors

Ayden's blog, Little Blog of Horrors, has been one of my favourites ever since I stumbled across it many moons ago. The name of the blog caught my eye instantly (Little Shop of Horrors is a classic!) and I felt a little jealous that I hadn't thought up the name first :)

I love the mixture of content; everything from her day to day life, to her little hamster, to what she has been buying. She always seems to do super interesting things and shares great photos. I am also in love with her tattoos!

Little Blog of Horrors is fab and I suggest you go check it out, right now!

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The night I saw Zooey Deschanel...

As most of you know I had a mini road trip to London recently and it was all for one reason - to see She & Him perform. In case you don't know, Zooey Deschanel is part of She & Him and not only is she my favourite person ever but their music is awesome. Most importantly, this is what I wore:

Blazer - Miss Selfridge

Long studded tee - Primark

Leggings - Topshop

Pumps - Primark

Jewellery - Juicy Couture/Accessorize

I wanted to be comfortable (hence the flats and leggings) but still look smart (so I added the blazer) just in case fate swooped down and I got to meet Zooey D - alas I did not. As we left I saw a queue and a sign saying "at the request of the band" and I wondered how those lucky people were able to join the queue.

Anyway, this is my lovely friend Rose who is a fellow She & Him/Zooey fan. Our boyfriends came along too. They certainly weren't complaining about the view. In fact, I think Rose's boyfriend is now a bigger fan than we are! :)

The venue:

There may have been some beer involved:

The band requested no flash photography (not that anyone took any notice). In my defence I only took photos right at the very end when they were nearly finished. The quality isn't great due to the lighting and Zooey bobbing around, but here are some snaps all the same. It certainly was pretty cool to see her in real life. She's very short and slim with tons of messy brown hair and of course, she's just as beautiful in person. We were quite close to the front despite some "pusher in-ers" trying to get past us. I would love to go see them again. Every song was a delight and the band put on a great show.

I also took lots and lots of video clips and put together a montage which you can view here if you so wish.

Zooey came out to do backing vocals for her support act, The Chapin Sisters, who I must say were excellent. Their voices were hypnotic! If you like the same kind of music as me then I recommend you check them out.

♥

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