July Favourite ... Tanning Lotions !

Happy Monday !

We have had some incredibly hot days behind us and I hope you didn't try to get your tan on by baking in it :) 
Today I want to do this blog about the best tanning products available. With summer already on our doorstep and everyone knows going out in the sun trying to get a tan is not good for your skin. It's ageing. It causes sun spots and can give you skin cancer in the long run.

At No. 1 is the St. TropezGradual Tan In Shower.
it costs 14 pounds fifty pence available online at sttropeztan.co.uk
This product is so easy to use it's an absolute winner for me and my favorite. Just take your shower as usual, step out of the water and apply your tan. Allow it about three minutes to do its thing and then rinse off. Absolute genius!

No.2 L'Oreal Paris Sublime Bronze Self Tanning Elixir
This costs 15 pounds 99 pence and available at Boots
This silky lotion makes your limbs feel super smooth. A light swipe of the product over your skin gives you an instant healthy glow that would make you feel radiant. It dries quickly with no streaking and fades evenly. You couldn't want for anything more!

No.3 Clarins Instant Smooth Self Tanning
Costs 20 pounds and available at John Lewis
This tanning mousse is a must have for an on the go beauty who has a busy lifestyle. Just smooth on the mousse unto your face for an instant glow, while the clever tanner develops into a gorgeous long lasting tan.

No. 4 He-Shi Express Liquid Tan
Costs 21 pounds from fabled.com
It's light liquid formula makes it easy to blend into the skin. You should apply it with a mitt so it won't run over your hands.

No. 5 Dove Derma Spa Summer Revived
Costs only 7 pounds 79 pence.
This is the easiest and most fun to use. There are plenty of people running scared of a tan in case they start resembling an orange. This is a daily body lotion which not only conditions moisturizes and re-hydrates your skin. It leaves a subtle healthy glow. Use it daily to build up a healthy glow and after that every other day to maintain the shade of color you desire . It is a must have for people on a budget as well. Must say I have used this a lot.

Hope you loved my five favorite tanners and you head out to try the one you think would suit you! Have an awesome day and keep smiling.

Love & Peace

July Advice .. Forgiveness !

Happy Thursday !

Today I came upon an interesting post on Facebook .. It said "Stop holding on to people who don't care about you . It's okay to be alone until God sends you the right people ..Amen " As a Catholic I absolutely don't agree with that post .  In the first place we must wonder why God has put these people in our life ?  There is a reason ! There is always a reason ! And we must accept them in our life . If they don't care about us , we must show them we care about them . No matter how many times they hurt us and our feelings , we are ready to forgive . We need to be the bigger person . We don't need to quit , we don't need to be alone .. Loneliness is the biggest killer . We are social people and need to be together , love each other be friendly .. That means no smiling with your eyes at other women  but a cool  hallo should surface . 

The right people almost never appear until you have shown how much forgiveness you have to give . That is why the saying "In time things will happen " If we work through our rough patches and peoples bad attitudes towards us ,we will get rewarded . If not in this life but in the next .  Ever wondered why there are such fortunate people in this world ?They have worked hard at forgiveness and have come back 10.000 times more blessed .  I am always and everyday working at forgiveness . I wanted to go out and get myself something today, I was getting a ride in a car but my eldest daughter wanted to go as well , I didn't want to go with her .. I said You go in the car and I will stay home . I heard a lot of verbal abuse because the person did not want to take her alone only with me . In the end I didn't go and she didn't go waste of the car being at home . She made things difficult , I found no reason her wanting to go at all , since she always makes a big fuss saying the smaller ones can't be left alone they are 12 and 13 . I was not leaving them alone today in this extreme heat  . So I was willing to stay with them . I find my eldest daughter is here on this planet to make my life difficult , but I don't bother I still love her with all my heart and cook her her favourite food . Would not let anyone say anything bad about her and I'm her number one champion . She's 23 and I let her be who she is , sheś still at home has never cooked food for us and I find her a pain but I suffer in silence , I can not and am not allowed to say anything .., I am a prisoner and I was married by her age .. But some things we need to bear with a smile .. The right moment will come and I will be free , maybe when my time is up on this earth , I shall be rewarded in the next with a better life , a good husband and a better eldest child . If it's not to be and I still have to pay I shall always try to be the best person I can be , this life or the next .. I have promised God !

Forgiveness towards others is very important . We cannot hang on to hate , it kills us slowly . Forgive everyday and don't be alone , God won't send you the right people until you can live with those who have been given to you .

Have an awesome day and never stop smiling .

Love & Peace

Love & Peace !

The Heat Can Go To Your Head ... Eat Some Ice-Cream !

Happy Wednesday !

This heatwave is real and we are roasting ,nothing can cool you down better than a delicious ice cream . Does the heat make people do strange things ? Having a day out with a loved one and nothing says it better than he's just not into you as when you are sat on the bus off on a day trip to a beautiful city , which you waited months to do , and this dude is all eyes as this young girl not more than 18 boards the bus and he knows her and smiles from ear to ear says Hi to her ,and you know what annoyed me the most it's the smile that lights up the eyes that bothered me . Starting a day out with someone you apparently want to see , should make you ignore every other female and have eyes only for the one you have chosen. Since I didn't know her and if he ignored her there would never have been an issue . The only thing I should be saying is NEXT ..and go find someone new !!! My feelings get hurt a lot .. it's one way to know for sure he's not into you !!  Girls don't be a fool and let some guy ruin your happiness , and make you feel not good enough . You are worth your weight in gold ,go out and prove it , find somebody who will give you all his time and attention when you are in each other's company .

On another note, the beautiful sunshine was glorious. So a truly healthy ice-cream is what I thought all you would enjoy! Green tea has loads of uses and health benefits which I shall feature in an upcoming blog. But today, a very healthy green tea coconut ice-cream is deliciously mouthwatering and very healthy. If you are not allergic to nuts, feel free to add a handful of nuts over the top for garnish. I love it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 13 1/2 ounce can of coconut milk
2 Eggs
4-8 tablespoons of coconut sugar crystals
1 tablespoon of green tea powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. In a blender, place coconut milk, eggs, sugar, matcha powder, and vanilla extract and blend well. Transfer the liquid to a sauce pan and heat under medium heat for about 8-10 minutes until the liquid thickens. When the liquid is cooled, chill it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Transfer to the container of an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions to make ice cream.

Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace

Get Healthy .. Eat Vegan !

Happy Monday !

Do you constantly want to keep healthy and feed your children good nutritious food ? Well cutting out meat altogether is hard but if you eat veggies and be be vegan a few days in the month , it all helps towards getting healthy .
Today I want to share a favourite recipe of mine, a vegan chilli. Although I am not a vegan, but some days it's meat free in our house and a vegan chilli is delicious. You can eat it with rice or mash and I promise the meat will not be missed! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
175g/6oz green lentils
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 red and 1 green pepper, stalk and seeds removed, and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 x 400g/14oz cans chopped tomatoes
1 heaped tbsp tomato purée
300ml/½ pint vegetable stock
100g/4oz frozen peas
175g/6oz mushrooms, wiped and quartered
1 courgette, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 can kidney beans, drained

Instructions:
1. Place the green lentils in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them. Leave to soak for 30 minutes. Then drain.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion and garlic together with the chilli and cumin, about ten minutes or until the onions are soft.
3. Add the peppers, carrots and drained green lentils and cook for five minutes, stirring all the time. Add the tomatoes, purée, stock and peas, bring to the boil and simmer until the lentils are tender (about 30 minutes). Add the mushrooms and courgettes and simmer for five minutes more. Season to taste.
4. Add the cooked kidney beans and simmer for five more minutes.
5. Serve with cooked rice.

Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace

Get The Perfect Brows This July !

Happy Tuesday !

Hollywood elite have the perfect brows. The arches. Think Penelope Cruz, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Kim Kardashian. But who do you think gets the most requested brows at salons? It's definitely the Kardashian brows. Girls are always trying to achieve the look. It's not pencil thin of the 60's but more fuller brows to frame and dark enough to make your face pop! But her look does not flatter everyone. To bring harmony to flatter your unique bone structure choosing the right width shape and color is key. Below are some tips.

Through Thick and Thin
If you have a tiny face with delicate features thick eyebrows can be overwhelming. People with a low brow bone should also avoid going to full. You want to open your eyes - if the space between the brows and the upper lashes is small, make the eyebrow a bit thinner and more arched. On the other hand if you have a higher set brow bone, thick eyebrows are the more flattering option.
If you divide the face into thirds, the spaces between the hairline and the brows, brows and nose base, and nose base to the chin should be equal in length. Wider arches are good for fuller faces whose expansiveness can be magnified by thin brows.
If your face shape requires thicker brows, over tweezing has left your upper lids nearly barren, encourage hair growth with an over the counter conditioner like a brow enhancing serum. A very important tip when tweezing is, never tweeze above the brow, always below to maintain a good shape.

Filling In The Blanks
With the help of a pencil or dark powder (brown eyeshadow), you can fill in spaces and create the appearance of lusher brows. To finish a clear brow gel can be used to keep pencil and hair colors in place.

Color Theory for  the brows 
The arches are best when they are one or two shades darker then the color of your hair. Rather than permanently dyeing your eyebrows, use a tinted brow gel to lighten and darken accordingly.
I have got some great natural looking eyebrows, which I just keep in shape with gentle tweezing. I have never plucked them thin , which suits my fuller face.

Have an amazing day and never stop smiling :)

Love & Peace 

Shades Of Blue .. Depression Is Nasty !!

Happy Friday !

I am so used to beginning with that line , I just couldn't stop myself, mine was anything but .. though I'm sure for a lot of you that was exactly what it was  , a happy Friday :)

The last couple of days I feel hopeless , lost , disillusioned , unloved and very , very alone ! I remember a quote by Robin Williams well not the exact quote , but something along the lines of this .. it's not the fact of being alone that's sad but when you are in a room with people and they make you feel alone is what is crushing ! The very last thing on earth I imagined was the fact making me unhappy would be my own children . As a young child growing up I always wanted children , with such pride and joy I had each one of them and loved them as only a mother can . The cruel world we live in ..because  if you dare to say something and nothing directed at them,  just at their father , you end up feeling alone , unloved unwanted.. I was disturbed at the theatre by a bunch of very loud Dutch people sitting behind me .. In the theatre where you are supposed to be quiet to concentrate on the musical going on . So getting annoyed later after the show , at the bus stop I told their Dad you call me loud and correct me all the time you see me, when I'm just at home in my own space talking and look at your own kind of people who talk so loudly , shouldn't you stand up and have told them something ?? My eldest daughter took offence started having words with me and marched off , the two younger ones followed her like lap dogs with no sense of loyalty or support for their MUM , their father never told them anything to remain with me or not to interfere because it concerned him and me , not them , but walked away from me as well leaving me alone  ... I remember my MUM meant the world to us and I would stand by her side no matter what  !! Children of today ?? The world could do without this heartless generation  . I am very sad because a few days even before this incident I was planning a couple of  days in Dublin but all 3 children refused to come ,not interested at all ! They hate to be photographed as well ,as a result I almost have no pictures of them in the last two or three years ,not even wanting photos with me .

Yes my life my life is made up of being alone , no point having kids if they make you feel alone all the time ! I've never felt more suicidal than I have felt in these last couple of months . I am struggling with wanting to die and knowing I should not ! We are meant to live our lives no matter how difficult because I sincerely believe  Suicide is not the answer . if we think that's an escape it's not .. because we just get re- born with all are same issues , problems and insecurities but this time under more difficult circumstances . Reincarnation does exist we are souls that continue on our journey . Our body dies but we the soul & spirit live on to continue growth , for peace and goodness to spread . We are learning all the time .

Depression  is a major mental problem and feeling unloved makes the situation worse . The best we can do is be supportive , loving and caring , it does not cost a single penny but could brighten up someone's day ! At least there on the horizon I know I have a crush who does find me attractive and does like me a little bit .. got to seek him out soon , desperately need to be held in his arms x Nobody else loves me and nobody ever has !!

If your life is just too hard , look for something that makes you happy and focus on it . We have to make ourselves happy nobody will do that for you .. ONLY a MUM but unfortunately my mum is no more and I miss her terribly at these moments of my life . I'm looking forward to Sunday the World Cup Cricket finals just can't wait so excited about that , amongst my deep depression COME ON ENGLAND !!!!!

Before I end , a virtual hug to everyone struggling with depression , loneliness , any kind of issue I'm saying a special prayer for strength to overcome this hurdle . Dying is just too easy , living is hard but the ultimate reward when we return in our next life we shall be blessed with far less problems . My goal , be kind but mostly be kind to yourself you need it , nobody is going to rushing over to bother about you .  Drink that Irish coffee , wink at some cute bloke and continue talking loudly at home , just don't be an arsehole and disturb a theatre performance .

Have an awesome day and never stop smiling :)

Love & Peace   

July Inspiration ..A Little Poem & Some Advice !

Happy Wednesday & Happy July !

Tomorrow is the 4th that means it's Independence day in the USA , well it's strange for anyone in the UK to celebrate it , since it marks the end of the war that the Brits lost ..but new beginnings are important steps to creating a better future . It's always amazing to know that countries once at war can still live peacefully and in harmony with each other . Despite all life's challenges , reconciliation is always possible and that makes us all hopeful . In relationships, difficulties hold potential as well for healing given half the chance .
People and coins have something in common both have two sides .. the pros and the cons . But when you focus on one side it's very difficult to see the other . When a person focuses on someone's difficult side they forget the person also has a generous , loving , caring heart  and when a situation becomes difficult they just feel like they are always challenging and a problem and forget about the other side ! We need to work harder at our relationships and don't forget to mention each time, you care and that the other person is needed, loved and wanted !

Thought I'd just pen a little poem about Me & My Bed !

I slip my body between the sheets ..
The cold crisp covers on my warm legs , my body shivers
Not welcoming, not welcoming
I lie alone yet again
year after year I toss , I turn but not a soul to heavenly embrace
The cold bed and me entangled and embraced confined in a single space .
My soul cries out you're not alone but my earthly status begs to differ
Yet again in bed I lay , just me and the ghost of what I yearn
Is this my punishment , Is this my fate ?
Yet again alone I embrace my soft toys , and a ghostly space ..
Take me to a terrace make that a bed, lie me under the stars
stay there with me , strip me naked , caress my every curve
Steal my heart , show me what I mean , take me on a date and feed my inner being !
I lie alone , I lie alone Lonely and cold
In a single bed with nobody to hold
I hate this fate , I hate this fate
Somebody love me and take me in your embrace !
Warm and welcoming I shall snuggle and you will keep me safe
Wrap your arms , entwine your legs feel each curve and every dip
Softly hold my rounded hips
Let your hand roam and find the moist 
Welcoming and soft the warmth , the warmth
A dream , just a dream
Alone in bed no one to feel
I hate this predicament but I cannot find someone to embrace
A friend , a lover a man to love and keep me warm and fill that space !
My lonely bed me only me  & only me !
Yet again the wind howls
You are alone , you wicked cow embrace your fate !
I toss and turn it's just a dream .. but I'm still alone
that dreaded bed and ME !

Well hope you enjoyed reading that .. Me & my bed .. story of my life :)

Have an awesome day and never stop smiling xx

Love & Peace