Friday 10 February 2017

High Street Hero Handbag

The place that is personal to every woman in the world. The place no gentleman dares enter.  The sometimes bottomless pit that even we are shocked by its contents. There are many variations of the handbag. We call them many things, but essentially we have a day bag or in my case, 'a Mum bag', 'a going out bag' and probably 'a work bag'. The 'Mum bag' contains sticky things, wrappers, toys from £1 machines that come in a plastic ball and a packet of those wax crayons that contain a red, blue, yellow and green that you get in a pub with free colouring sheets. This is the least of the glamourous bags, I'm sure goes without saying. The 'work bag' is slightly more sophisticated. Small make up bag containing concealer, lippy and Vaseline for those dauntingly air conditioned offices. Probably a pen, possibly even a notepad, a small piece of fruit, bruised of course and a wandering hair bobble. The 'going out bag', the one I want to champion today is the most glittering of all, in the collection of bags. Its sometimes forgotten when buying an outfit, you always think you have one in your wardrobe that will suit, plus another £20-£30 on a bag would in fact get you more in a way of cocktails than in actual wardrobe snaps. I'm totally guilty of this. Surely you cant get to 30-something without having a medley of suitable going out bags. However, my recent wandering fashion eye has spotted that the high street is teasing me with a new type of going out bag that I really need to add to my collection. Call it what you will, Camera bag, Boxy bag, Shoulder bag, they are all of similar small size, but large enough for essentials, phone, purse, lippy, eye liner. The ones that have caught my eye are below, now its the choice of which one will I use the most!
At £20 and less, I'm sure I can stretch to that and once used more than once, the cost per wear makes it totally deductible! Treat yourself girls and spare the liver that extra Cosmo!









All these bags come in a variation of colours - check websites for options.

Remember, you're never fully dressed without a smile!





Friday 3 February 2017

Balance?

When one part of your life is successful, does another suffer?
For example, if your job is going well and you're promoted, does that mean longer hours? More time away from home? Husband? Kids?
If your house is spotless, wash baskets empty and kids on time for school everyday, do you look like an 80's throwback with a cardigan, that now you think about it, would your mum even wear it?
Its not just women! Blokes, if you think you're going to work, coming home, play fighting with the kids, hitting the gym, getting to the rugby on a weekend, does your lass smile at you through gritted teeth?

If I sit and think about the daily things on my mind, my brain physically hurts. Even the things you do without thinking, that you do automatically.
How do we balance the immensely busy lifestyles that we have now become accustomed to?

From personal experience, I try get up, showered, dressed, bit of make up and then go do kids breakfast. Guarantee I'm screaming like an old fishwife 5 minutes after we should leave the house for school every morning. But is this just me needing to get up 10 minutes earlier or do I leave the shower and make up bit out?
Sometimes I think, Hey, I'm nailing this week! Done some washing, kids been on time for school every day, I've not looked too bad for the school run and then that sinking feeling pops into my head, when was the last time I washed the girls hair?
My most recent accomplishment is hitting the gym 3 times a week, making my Slimming World class (and staying for group - those that know, know!), planning my meals but then I realise I haven't researched any work for 2 whole weeks!

And yes I've wittered on for 3 paragraphs - but can you imagine this and working a 9-5 or worse, even longer?!

How is it flipping done? How do you get it right? How do you pick and choose what to focus on?

And you know what, you don't. Simple.

Screaming fishwife section aside, those things that I didn't do or was late for, didn't stop my world from turning round. I left a pile of washing on my living room floor (proof on Instagram 😶) for a whole 12 hours this week, but it meant that I played cafe's with my little girls and read them a story in bed. I even had the cheek to sit on the sofa with my husband and watch TV, while it sat there! And you know what, I don't care!

We need to stop being so hard on ourselves, no one else does it. We do it to ourselves.
When it comes down to it, all of the above means I've got a family, a home, food on the table and my health.

No one is Wonder Woman, even Linda Carter gave that up and as for Superman, how many has there been now?

Enjoy the every day, put the guilt away and focus on what you do, not what you don't.

Happy Friday!

Remember, you're never fully dressed without a smile!