Lately I've been.....

 Sipping tea at The White Rabbit Tea House in Nottingham. I wish they branched out to London!

Exercising. Since I started working full time (August 2012),  I stopped working out. The hours were long and I was stressed out. This year, I decided I needed to start exercising again. I may be heavier on the weighing scale but my whole body feels so toned, and I feel super happy again.

 Watching Thriller Live in the theatre. This was more like a gig than a theatre show because the performers involved the audience, but it was so much fun. I am not really a die hard fan of MJ but I still loved it! (Plus there's some great deals on Amazon Local...)

 

Making smoothies and juices using my Vitamix. I have used the Vitamix every single day, and I love it!

Going for Afternoon tea in Mayfair. I went to the Four Season's hotel and opted for the Vegetarian afternoon tea. It was delicious, the atmosphere was so relaxed, and the waiter's kept topping up the food - it was heaven!

 Having my hair blow dried. I don't often get my hair cut, but when I do, I like to get it blow dried. I wish I knew how to do this myself!

 Going to Madame Tussaud's. My favourite photo from the day :)

Dining at an amazing Indian restaurant called 'Indian express' in West Kensington. The decor may have not been up to scratch but the food was freshly cooked and the service was intimate. It's number 6 on Trip Advisor for a reason! 

Toasting s'mores in Flesh and Buns. If you like desserts, I highly recommend you check this place out! The s'mores came with a camp fire, green tea chocolate and wafers. Yum.

 Purchasing this beautiful coat from Zara. I have never received so much male/female attention in my life - it's so elegant.

Going to the Ideal Home Show. I love anything to do with kitchen gadgets to home decor - this place is heaven to me (apart from the expensive food and the number of people there).  Here's a cheeky selfie :) 

Watching Gossip Girl  on Netflix. (I am 7 years late on the scene). I absolutely love it - the fashion, the story, and Nate Archibald (he is gorgeous). Also, I love Netflix. I am currently on their free trial but I will definitely be going for it. £6 for a decent range of TV shows and movies is worth it. 

What have you been up to?

Lil Miss Healthy: The Vitamix

Hi guys! I hope you are all having a lovely bank holiday weekend! The weather seems quite nice today (it always rains every bank holiday in England)

Today, I am finally going to review the Vitamix. If you follow me on instagram (roshas is my username) then you might have seen a few videos dedicated to this awesome machine!

What is the Vitamix?

The Vitamix is a very powerful blender. It is basically 10 machines in one. You can use it as a smoothie maker, an ice cream maker, it also makes soups, dips, peanut butter etc. I love making smoothies - green smoothies are my favourite. You can even juice with the Vitamix by using a nut strainer bag to remove the pulp. 

Why don't you just buy a bog standard blender?

What I love about the Vitamix is that it is extremely powerful. Your average blender will get damaged by ice cubes etc, and it will not blend the ingredients in as little as 30 seconds. Your average blender will not even make ice cream in 30 seconds or knead dough. I even use the Vitamix to chop onions! 

How much does it cost?

In my opinion, in life, you get what you pay for. The Vitamix cost £459 (including a free dry container). I purchased it at the Ideal Home Show so we got a better deal. Yes it is very expensive, but I use it everyday, and the machine has a warranty of 7 years. If you use it everyday for over 7 years, you've got your value for money. People go on holiday in a week and spend that much. If you want to improve your diet and have a machine that will help you in your day to day life for a long period of time, then it is totally worth purchasing it. Also, because the Vitamix is so powerful, it is used in most coffee shops and smoothie bars (including Starbucks and Mcdonalds).

What else do you like about it?

A year ago I was addicted to juicing. Every morning, I spent half a hour cutting vegetables and fruit, juicing them, and then spending about five to ten minutes cleaning the juicer. The worst part of juicing was cleaning the machine. It totally put me off. The Vitamix can be cleaned in less than a minute. It is designed to self clean. You simply add a little bit of water with some fairy liquid and put it on high speed. It will clean it self, all you have to do is rinse it out.

Where can I buy it from?

Lakeland, John Lewis, Selfridges, Harrods, Costco (Costco seem to always have good offers). I have the Vitamix Total Nutrition Centre one. I also received a recipe book with it. My biggest tip is to watch a live demonstration of the Vitamix. I was contemplating purchasing it for a few months until one day when I randomly went to Whole Foods and I was blown away by the demo.

Here is one of my favourite recipes: 

 You will need:

1) 1 cup of milk ( I used almond milk)

2) A banana

3) 1 teaspoon of Agave Nectar (to sweeten it up)

4) A small bowl of frozen berries 

5) I also added a teaspoon of chia seeds (not in photo)

1) Start on Variable, set to number 1

2) Slowly increase the speed to number 10 and switch from Variable to High

3) Blend for about 40 seconds

5) Serve! (It will make about two glasses) 

 If you would like to see more recipes, please let me know :)

Lil Miss Joyful: Happy Mother's day!

Hi guys! I hope everyone is having a lovely Mother's day! 

This year, we got my mother a lovely biscuit card from Biscuiteer's. I don't believe in giving normal cards anymore, it's all about biscuit cards! They are delicious and are made from the finest ingredients (although very expensive - but make for an awesome and original gift). We also got my mother a spa day voucher (you can never go wrong with these!) 

It also comes in a cute presentation box:

 

What did you get your mother for Mother's day?

Lil Miss Glam: Annual Work Conference

Hi guys! Hope you are all well! This post is long overdue. I attended my annual work party a few weeks ago which took place in Nottingham. We have an awards ceremony in the evening which is a chance for everyone to get dressed up.

 My friends and I are all super girly - we spent hours getting dolled up, complimenting each other and taking lots of Snapchats (my current addiction).

Here are a few photos from the night:

Outfit: Lipsy 

Watch: Michael Kors

Bracelet: Dorothy Perkins

My makeup is not so different to the makeup I have used in other posts, but I will list it anyway for reference:

Face:

• Mac Studio Fix Powder Foundation in C40
• Mac moisture cover concealer in NC30

Cheeks:

• Mac Peaches blush
• Revlon Natural Bronzer in Shade 02 to contour
• Mac vanilla pigment for highlight

Eyes:

• Too faced shadow insurance as an eyeshadow primer
  
• Barry M dazzle dust number 44 on the lid
• I also added Urban Decay Half baked on my eyelids
• Mac Cork eyeshadow on the crease
• Urban Decay eyeshadow in perversion on the outer V
• Collection 2000 liquid eyeliner to line the upper lid
• Urban Decay Pencil eyeliner in black to line the waterline
• Mac vanilla pigment in the inner rims of the eyes as well as the brow bone
• Eyelure lashes in 101

Lips:

• Bobbi Brown lipstick in Carnation
• Mac lipstick in Freckletone

Lil Miss Bright: I love candles +

I love candles so much that my sister now resorts to calling me a 'Candle Freak'. 

I never used to understand why people would spend so much money on candles but I managed to see sense a few years ago. Candles add ambience to the room, and make your room smell heavenly.

Here are my three favourite Yankee candles at the moment: 

Not in any particular order of preference:

1) Sweet Strawberry - 'the essence of perfectly ripe strawberries sprinkled with sugar'. The scent pay off is not as strong at the wax tart, but it smells very sweet

2) Vanilla Satin - 'A smooth blend of rich vanilla, romantic flowers and sensuous sandalwood'. This is my favourite scent (even my mother, who dislikes the smell of vanilla likes it) and apparently Yankee are going to discontinue it

3) Vanilla lime - 'Smooth and refreshing ... the creamy richness of vanilla with sweet cane sugar and a zesty lime twist'. This is absolutely delicious - it makes me crave the lemon drizzle cake from M&S 

What's your favourite candle?

Lil Miss Romantic: Valentines day +

I know a lot of people are totally against celebrating 'Valentines day' because they believe they should appreciate their partner every day - but that still does not stop me from enjoying it :) 

It's a special day to enjoy your loved one - it's a positive thing in a world which seems to be full of bad news and hate

Anyway, here is what I got, and what I got up to for Valentines day:

My other half got me this beautiful bracelet from Swarovski :)

I also received a large tin of biscuit cards which were from Biscuiteer's. The tin had eight of these personalised biscuits - needless to say, I devoured three of them. The Biscuiteer's biscuits truly are the most delicious biscuits I have ever eaten - they use the finest ingredients and I literally cherished every morsel.

We also dined at Maiyango restaurant in Leicester. I have been here before and it's one of my favourite restaurants. We opted for a Valentines tasting menu (this comprised of five courses) and I  managed to finish everything - this is a massive achievement for me as I have the smallest appetite ever.

I got my other half a big bottle of his favourite aftershave, as well as some luxurious hot chocolate from Whittard of Chelsea (Hazelnut White Hot Chocolate and Creme Brulee Hot Chocolate and two White Chocolate Stirrers) 

What did you get up to this Valentines day?

Lil Miss Glam: My New Watch +

I have a slight obsession with Michael Kor's watches. 

I know that every blogger and their mother has one, but they are popular for a reason. They are stunningly beautiful and not too expensive either (they're much cheaper on Amazon - if you're happy to not receive a 2 year warranty that is)

I received this beautiful watch for my birthday and now I can add it to my collection :) It is not even too heavy for work!

Do you own a Michael Kors watch?

Lil Miss Outgoing: Lately I've been....

Eating desserts (Boom Shakes near Queensbury station).

Sipping caramel latte and eating a full Vegetarian English breakfast at the Breakfast club (it was worth queuing up for twenty minutes).

Watching the 'Wolf of Wall Street' at the Electric cinema - this cinema comprises of comfortable armchairs and beds, as well as cashmere blankets. I can't wait to go back! 

Visiting Notting hill - primarily Portobello market! I also visited the Biscuiteer's cafe - I love buying presents from there for people. Who wouldn't like a personalised biscuit as a present?

Cruising around Southend with my work friends. We spotted this rainbow pub and literally stopped the car just to take a photo.

 Eating jacket potatoes in Covent Garden. My other half and I spent ages looking for a cafe that served jacket potato. It was totally worth it!

Exploring the side streets of London!

Watching the Woman in Black in theatre and dining at Mint Leaf restaurant in London. The food was delicious and the service was very attentive. I was disappointed with the Woman in Black theatre production - I did not find it scary, and found the movie more interesting. The lady next to me fell asleep and started snoring which I found quite funny lol.

What have you been up to?

Lil Miss Impressed: My current favourite nail polishes +

My idea of the perfect nail polish:

• Easy to apply
• Lasts for a long time
• It has to be easy to remove

I've tried many nail polishes - both high end and 'drug store' but my favourite has to be the Barry M Gelly Nail Paints! 

I am so impressed by the quality of the nail polishes. I've had many compliments when I have worn these colours and someone even asked me whether I had a gel manicure!

Summary:

Any disadvantages?

I wish the nail polishes came in more shades!

How much do they cost?

Barry M nail polishes are relatively cheap. They cost £2.99 or you can get some buy one get one half price in Boot's stores.

Where can I buy them from?

Amazon, Boots, Superdrug, and the Barry M website

Lil Miss Motivated: Happy New Year+

First of all - Happy New Year to my readers! 

I love the new year - I always feel so motivated and energised! A few of my new year's resolutions are:

1) Learn how to cook - something I have been putting off for years!

2) Read one book a month - I spend countless hours on instagram, facebook, twitter etc. when I could be improving my vocabulary (as well as learning something new) by reading

3) Start exercising - I probably exercised a maximum of three times in 2013. Exercise makes me feel super happy and it has so many benefits, so I'm going to workout 2-3 times a week. Slow and steady wins the race in my opinion

4) Ensure mindfulness -  I have a habit of rushing everything. I want to slow down and learn to enjoy the moment

5) Take a photo everyday - I have downloaded an app which will allow me to treasure my chosen 'photo of the day'. I can look back in 2015 and see what I got up to everyday. There's one rule though - the photo has to be a positive one. Even if I've had a really bad day, I have to find something positive from it

Moving aside from New Year's resolutions, I wanted to show you my Christmas presents: 

Ted Baker Wallet:

I have wanted a Ted Baker wallet for ages. My other half picked the most beautiful wallet (and it even has rose gold detailing!) 

Swarovski earrings

 

 I also received these beautiful rose gold earrings. These are small enough to wear to work (and they also match my watch)

What are your New Year's resolutions?

What did you get for Christmas?

Lil Miss Homely: Bedroom decor inspiration +

 I love all things home decor. In fact, I may have a slight obsession with it. My ideal room would be cream with  accents of pastel colours, have lots of candles and be incredibly cosy.

I trawled through the Internet for the past hour to collate these beautiful images! Let me know what you think! 

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