SIMPLE SUPER RULES TO SAVE MONEY

I’m trying to win an iPad 2 in the iSave, iWrite, iPad competition from PlayPennies.com!

To win this iPad 2 I have to write a blog post about ways to save money. I saw this competition and thought this relates to me so much and I have such great tips to share with you all.

You see, I love holidays. Going abroad to beaches, sun, amazing sights and just far far away from British weather. Its all I look forward to the whole year.

But like many ladies and men alike, I love shoes, bags and just SHOPPING!

So I have two simple rules I follow so I can have the best of both worlds; holidays every year and some delicious heels.

(1) Weekends are the only days of the week when we go out, have some me/us time, but often people end up going shopping as a 'day out' and willingly let complete strangers take their hard-earned whole week's wages. So the key tip I will give you is go out and enjoy your weekend, but find new places with NO shopping required. Take fixed spending money or create a budget for your day out. For example with £15 my other half and I, on one hot summer's day, went to a corn maize maze (and got very lost) as well as had lunch of jacket potatoes and ice cream. All within our £15 budget. Remember shopping trips are never purchase free, so rule number one is...

DONT GO SHOPPING FOR THE SAKE OF A DAY OUT

(2) A second way to save money is buy only what you need. It sounds very unoriginal but its the oldest trick in the book. And it works! Buying bargains that might come into use later or just because its cheap is no way to save money. Make a shopping list- add perhaps one want but stay within a reasonable budget. Therefore the last rule is..

GO SHOPPING WHEN YOU NEED SOMETHING, NOT WHEN YOU WANT SOMETHING

So there you go. When your saving up for something special, whether its a new baby, car, house, an exotic holiday, a pair of Loubs or a Fendi bag, follow the two simple rules and let the dream purhases come to you.

Good Luck watching you pennies

Book Review - Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go is written by contemporary Japanese-English writer Kazuo Ishiguro and was published in 2005. 

The plot is mainly based on three characters; Tommy, Ruth and Kathy but its their unique friendship, gloomy circumstances and their reactions to the challenges in the face of these circumstances, which creates the sad storyline. The trio grow up in what appears to be a special creative boarding school in a mysterious place called Hailsham. There is no mention of mothers and fathers or siblings, simply guardians and a fearful woman called Madame. Without revealing too much of the plot the meticulously-written novel unfolds as the narrating character Kathy takes us on an intriguing journey through their individual lives filled with hopes and losses. Meanwhile all three friends are also part of the bigger picture of British society as 'doners' and 'carers' in a special national medicinal program, which like many phenominal scientific discoveries, appears controversial and has its own set of faults. 

Never Let Me Go has been categorised in the literary world as a Science Fiction novel, however in my opinion it is far from that. Unlike other adult Science Fiction novels, such as Stephanie Meyer's The Host, Ishiguro does not reveal in detail, all aspects of this special program, as well as excluding a description of how it all works. Ambiguous terms like 'completing', 'Veterans' and 'possibles', with no clear or apparant definitions, are thrown into the novel, to fill any major gaps about the program. It could be that this is supposed to be part of the charm of the novel but I thought it particularly awkward to leave your only audience, the reader and his or her's imagination, in the dark. Not forgetting it is frustrating to be left guessing.

Also, although the novel is wonderfully structured with flowing, excellent prose from page one, I was often anxious to skip pages and read what was ahead. Not because it was such an exciting read, but because I wanted to get to the action-packed peak of the story, perhaps a epic, sudden tradegy. The Event that makes your heart race.  

Big revelation. There is none. I was left mentally screaming at the characters to escape, fight or approach the system of the program that left them doomed!   

However on a positive note it is nothing like any other fiction novel I have ever read. After finishing the novel it leaves you lost in thought about how human characteristics such as greed and selfishness, can lead within society, take power, spread inequality and create pain that is of the worse type. Pain which is purposefully ignored.
  
To conclude, I give Never Let Me Go 3/5. It is not brilliant or in my opinion even deserving of its acknowlegement; Book of the Year 2005 (as gifted by Times magazine). Nevertheless it presents a unique insight into the possible future of mankind and just because the plotline doesn't slap you in the face, does not mean it doesn't pinch your cheeks a little- catching your attention and imagination. 

A good read. I do recommend you read it. Feel free to ask me questions. :D

Happy World Book Day

MONDAY CHOCOLATE MADNESS

Easter is coming (okay, it's still about three months away) but can you feel it in the air tonight!! *hairy gorrilla bangs drums* Chocolate Easter Eggs are everywhere. ALREADY. They're on supermarkets shelves, children's minds and in my tummy.

Personally, I don't celebrate Easter holidays but the CHOCOLATE FEVER definately takes over my sense of self-control at this special time of the year!!

Actuallly Chocolate rules most aspects of my life, all throughout the year. Even when I give gifts. Dont you dare frown, snigger or murmur 'greedy'. 'Cause no Chocoholic can say (honestly) that they have never given someone a Chocolate box, as a gift, without hoping they'll open the box and offer them one! No such man exists, I tell ya!

Yeah, yeah, I see you blushing, giggling guiltily and nodding your head. *tuts*

Anywho, this Chocolate madness may have something to do with Chocolate being my favourite food; which is why it deserves a capital letter in my world. If you spot a chocolate without a capital letter don't be shy to pull me up on it. okay? (Spotted it yet)?

And so we come to my Chocolate-coated point of this scrumptous blog post! A while ago I came up with an idea of a regular weekly post. Every Monday I will post in true dedication to the yummiest scrummiest snack/dessert/dinner ever to be invented.

It will be called MONDAY CHOCOLATE MADNESS.

This week's post is a celebratory post to CREME EGGS! Yeah baby! *high six*. There are quite a few people out there who don't like em but I love em and I'm sure some of you do too. Mmmm... especially when the cremey fondant is all melted. Yummy.

So as a mad faithful Chocolate fan I dug up some history on the guy (sorry I tend to genderise my Chocolate). Some cool creme egg facts follow:

1. Creme eggs are created by the American Chocolate guru (Kraft) owned company Cadbury. It was first created by the original Chocolate confectioners themselves; the Cadbury Brothers (a whole other blog post in itself) in 1923 and was available to purchase in its current form in 1971.

2. As you all know, the thick Chocolate eggshell of a Creme Egg is full of delicious fondant; a mixture of sugar and water. *mouth waters* So where did this peculiar but brilliant idea come from?

No, not from chicken eggs, but from RABBIT'S EGGS!

I know, I know Rabbits give birth to live young. But legend has it that in the 17th century a British Expedition to the forests of African Congo, (a little after the first Cadbury shop opened in London), founded the discovery of a rare type of rabbit that layed eggs. Not just any eggs; but eggs that tasted sweet and creamy like marshmallows. A English Duke bought one over to London for the bemusement of the cool Cadburys and sold the wee egg for a tray of boring eggs (I'm talking about the ones you scramble). And the fantastic Choclatiers experimented to make the very first fondant and their very own CREME EGG!

3. Nowadays the Creme Egg is produced in Bournville, Birmingham (UK) at an awesome rate of 1.5 million made per a day. Which is not as outstanding as the brand's estimated value of 45 million pounds. And an estimation of  200 million are sold across the world in the 'Creme Egg Season' between New Years Day and Easter!

4. The foil packaging of the Creme Egg differs around the globe. In the UK and Ireland the wrapper used to be red, yellow and blue, however in the 21st century the iconic Cadbury purple (my favourite colour) has replaced the blue. Wheras in the US the green is part of the creme egg colour scheme.

5. A sad aspect of the life of a Creme Egg, is whilst mankind has gone fatter, Creme Eggs have become smaller. When originally introduced they were 40 grams, now they are 39 grams in the US and 36 in Canada! *awwhs* Sho Cutess... Though still the original weight in the UK (Lucky me)!

6. Finally for your information here is how the Creme Egg is manufactured:

Cadbury Creme Egg is manufactured by making a chocolate shell in a half-egg shaped mould, which is then filled with white fondant and a dab of yellow fondant to simulate the yolk. Two mould halves are closed very quickly and cooled to allow the chocolate to set. When the moulds are opened, the eggs fall onto a conveyor which transports them, first to the foiling machines and then to the finished packing.

—Cadbury PLC

And there you have it. But you and me know the life of the Creme Egg does not end there... I have had eight since the season started with many more to come. How many have you had??

*does the Cadbury eyebrow wiggle*

And so we part on the following quote, said beautifully by Malcomn Haverford Cadbury himself:

"What our cuisine lacks in taste and sophistication, we shall make up for in dessert"

ENJOY YOUR CREME EGG SEASON! HAPPY MONDAY CHOCOLATE MADNESS! GO GOO!!

OOH! NIKITA COAT!

I have always seen Full Circle as more of a men's brand until Asos introduced me to their funky designs. So as I am on the hunt for a new winter coat I visited the Full Circle website to see if there might be anything of my liking.

Awesome Stuff!

Like always as a bargain hunter the sale section caught my eye first and there I found the 'Velvet Bag.' Its not velvet but you know me... it only takes the V-word to make my eyes pop out, (clever technique on their behalf I must say).

Full Circle - was £60 and now reduced to £18

Love it! It can be worn as a side bag and a clutch! If I did found a gorgeous purple coat it'd look lovely.

Anyway guess what else I found (if you haven't already guessed)...

A coat called NIKITA!

I don't know if any of you watch the TV series called Nikita, though if you do you'll know how amazingly addictive it is with all of its twists and turns, it really leaves you on the edge of your seat! So this coat caught my eye because has the same name as the leading character, definately gives it the extra factor. ;D

So here it is; comes in purple and black too but I got hold of a blue picture of it only:

Full Circle £140

Its trendy and looks warm. I like the big buttons and I do need pockets in my coat. But its not at all kick-ass for the price. Nikita would'nt wear it. Even then I just had to blog about the name! Hehe

I'll give it 5/10.

Thus the hunt for the new coat continues...

You Can't Catch Me - I Smell Like The Ginger Bread Man

Aside from the lame title I am proud to present my latest addition to my cream collection. Tun Tun Tun!



 Simple Pleasures Ginger Bread Cream - £1.99 from TK Maxx

First and foremost it smells divine! Sweeter than gingerbread man. Its such a strong smell it could be sickening to some people. But I am a sucker for that just-baked smell, so its heaven for me. Also as you can see its a bright bottle, a bit christmassy so its all fun. Especially when you have a look at the back you learn it is just a fun gift you could buy for someone...'cause its full of rubbish!

Can you see the long list of horrible chemicals and colours following the heading of ingredients? This is why I think I will use it in minute amounts and only once in a while. However as a cream it's greasy although my hands do feel a little silky which is nice. It absorbs at an average rate and the silky feeling remains for an hour or two. Nevertheless my hands do not feel nourished and its soo gooey my lid is dirty already (and I spilt it on the duvet).

Yuck! Anyway so here is my verdict: 5/10. It gets half simply because it smells awesome, so much so that I am desperate for a way to electronically able you to cyber-smell its awesomeness. However it does what it says on the tin. No vitamins or trade-mark plants to boost the condition of your skin, just a simple pleasure of a great stink!

I feel like having a Ginger Bread Man NOW!



A CASUAL CREAM CHANGE

Some people change their handbag every so often but I think, more than handbags, I have become immensely irregular with the creams I use.

I go through phases where some creams move to the front of my shelf and others move back. And after a shopping trip to Tk Maxx or some random cream-selling shop a new cream sends the fronties to the back.

I  force some in and out of hibernation, which means on random mornings I reach to the back of the shelf and grab an old cream, smell it and go mmmmm like its the first time we've met.  Its like another welcome-to-the-front-of-the-shelf-ceremony when I force my other half to smell it again and again.

However the last time I dug up a buried baby I smelt him and I was like eurgh! Straight in the bin with you! Cannot believe I even used you! Poor guy was organic and kept my skin clear and soft but... he smelt horrid.

I should have read the stink signs a long time ago, when I started to swear by that facial cream, a couple of people who I offered it to wrinkled their noses as soon as I turned the lid. And so here is the dreadful smelling cream...




Aloe Pura's Organic Aloe Vera Lotion - £2.99 at Grahams for 250ml

It looks like how it smells, like soggy leaves. I think Poor Mr Vera needs a wash down for his pong!

I did feel sad getting rid of him, no break up is easy especially when it causes skin break out. As my skin was itchy for a few days and withdrawal symptoms meant a few dry patches too.

Oh well, life goes on and atleast I have made some self discoveries on the way. I believe my 'taste' in creams depends on three things:

(1) Smell -  (bearing in mind my sense of smell changes too)
(2) Bottle/tub packaging - (colourful, funky, attractive)
(3) Soothes my dry/red skin - (very rarely accomplished)

Not very demanding is it?
So here is my new cream...


Body Shop's Strawberry Body Butter - £12.50 for 200ml

The Body Shop site states it is "An intensive creamy all-over body moisturiser, offering up to 24 hours moisturisation with a sweet berry fragrance. It contains moisturizing strawberry seed oil and Community Trade shea and cocoa butter."

It smells delicious and I know body butter probably means not for the face, but I use it as a facial moisturiser as well. Its very softening and hasn't given my sort of sensitive skin spots.

It's only been two weeks since we've been together but I'm loving it. However I still get an itchy feeling sometimes which could be caused by the winter cold or choc. :D

However it does make your face greasy for a while but its absorbed quickly. The smell acts as an overrider for these problems..

And my OH started using it too...

Although the price is a downfall and the tub takes up more space than the others do on my shelf, we are getting along just fine. For Now.

:D

MY FIRST POST - MY FIRST RANT

You know it's very confusing and frustrating business deciding what to talk about in your first blog post. It seems appropriate that I should write about my newest hand cream, or a new bag I really want, but for some peculiar reasons I am just not feeling it today.

I want need to rant. Therefore today Michael I am going to be... a big fat cow. A really mean one. Who wants to pollute the world into devastation via dangerous carbon dioxide filled farts. And I know the perfect place to start my mooaning (and parping)?!

You see, they're few things spoiling my grassy turf at the moment, all of which are stressing me out, desperately pushing me to jump in the washing machine for a spin dry. I warn you though, my rants may appear self-absorbed and very trivial. Ignore me or judge me. Are'nt blogs about letting it all out, right?

So to begin with, the education system stinks. I don't mean the pong that attacks you when you open the door of the toilet, after certain people have forgotten to use flowery air freshner. I mean landfills of rubbish the size of cities (note the use of the plural), which is not full of furniture and fridges, but loaded with rotten vegetables and excretion. I am talking about the education system as the most disgusting, revolting, vomit-enducing piece of rubbish ever.

Why? Because its pointless. Well, most of it.

We spend, as British citizens, 'under the Queen's peace', around twelve years in compulsory education. I can live with that. I can read, write and communicate with others, all thanks to my school teachers.

However, I made the mistake of committing myself to A Levels. Do you know why they are called A Levels or 'Advanced' Levels? Because, they want you to think you're better than others. That you've chosen the better option better suited for gaining a place at a top university or finding a stable job. They want you to believe that you are advanced compared to others doing BTECs and NVQs because you are writing 500-800 word essays in half an hour with 9 marks for actual knowledge shown and 16 for being 'synoptic' - (pointing out the mistakes in the research of the founders of the subject). Its ridiculous. Atleast those who choose to concentrate on one field/subject and have regular real-life application of their knowledge; their education is practical and can help them when they start to work.

The fact is, I know, I don't really learn anything. Forget anything advanced.

I make notes, memorise, practise and then write like a dog in my exam. But the knowledge is temporary and evaporates, so by the end of my two year course I will be 'gifted with' three letters (given in capitals might I add), which represent my supposed Advanced Level. But I have a barron desert for a brain to show for it. Either the education system needs serious reforming or as humans we do not learn effectively under pressure and deadlines.

I want to know the real stuff with substance and aspects of reality. So I read a little, but my brain feels like its lost the ability to soak up facts without them seeping out of my pores. I have been brain washed to wash all knowledge from my brain.

I hate to say it. But my knowledge has an expiry date.

All my life I have been taught to look concentrate on the goal of earning money, so that I can afford life and a little luxury on the way too. And education is the key to it. To a good university offer, a good job, good career, good money and supposed happiness. But who can guarantee me a job in the end? Forget that, will I even get a place at university? And with the fees rising, am I going to be paying lump sums so to then earn back lumps or more frightingly meagre amounts of money. Where is the logic in that? Is it not just a waste of money and time?

I can hear your thoughts right now. So why are you continuing to slave away for some As on your CV then? Because I don't know what else to do. No joke. I am stuck in this rut because I know if I quit, I walk away with even less of a chance of holding down a job and a possible chance of going crazy upon being stuck at home.

The education system has trapped me and the government are doing nothing but laughing at me.

And UCAS... evidence of capatalism in action. This glitch was created by a bunch of greedy people who found a niche market within the university application process that now means we are exploited into giving money to them as a 'fee' for their services. Nothing is really free in this world. That is for sure. But £21 is ridiculous money to pay for someone to forward some paper for you. It only needs five 1st class stamps. Okay, I can claim it back on EMA but my pride won't let me. It feels all so undignified to me.

I just want to enjoy my final teenage years stress-free and full of fun. Education can be fun can't it?

Anyway I think I've made my point. I think I have blown my tantrum trumpet enough because I'm getting kinda out of breath. However what do you think of the British education system? Agree with me or disagree? Why?

P.S My apologies for the rant, negativity and spelling mistakes. I promise a beauty/fashion related post will arrive eventually. :D Anyhow get used to the word-vomit. It happens to me. A lot.